


Mr. Darcy's Bride

by rowanrenault



Category: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M, Gen, Marriage of Convenience
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-26 20:24:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 50,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20748227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowanrenault/pseuds/rowanrenault
Summary: After Mr. Bennet's untimely death, Mr. Darcy proposes marriage to Elizabeth to save her from marrying an odious man. Will they learn to love one another, or will their battle of wills destroy their union?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This book is available in published form on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Darcys-Bride-Rowan-Renault-ebook/dp/B0748KGBHF/
> 
> I will be posting the entirety of it here, so please don't feel obligated to buy. In the past, I've posted my novels on ff.net as I wrote them. For this one, I'd like to try posting here.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!

Elizabeth Bennet sat in the corner of her father’s study, watching the sunlight move across the wall as afternoon changed to evening. The room she had known for her entire life already looked foreign to her. She could not believe how quickly things had changed; how quickly they had gone wrong. It was a normal day a fortnight before Christmas when she knocked on the door of this very study, and pushed it open to find her father slumped over his desk. The worst fear of the Bennets came to pass: Mr. Bennet had passed away, and not a single daughter had yet found a husband.

“Oh, how could Mr. Bennet do this to me?” cried Mrs. Bennet, as if Mr. Bennet’s entire goal in dying suddenly had been to inconvenience her. “Why could he not have waited until one of the girls was wed?”

Her ire then turned to Elizabeth. “If you had accepted Mr. Collins, we would not be in this state now. But he is to wed Charlotte Lucas, and there is nothing to be done for it! We are lost! We are destitute!”

Elizabeth’s eldest sister, Jane, was obliged to gently maneuver their mother to bed; Mrs. Bennet continued to rant and weep. Elizabeth understood the things that needed to be done in the wake of her father’s death would fall to her, as her other sisters would be no help. Mary had not uttered an intelligible word since hearing the news, but her lips moved quickly. Elizabeth knew she was praying. Her sister Lydia was acting quite a bit like their mother, but she had not yet perfected the art of the dramatic swoon, so she was receiving less attention from her sisters and the servants. And Kitty only sat on the settee and wept; Elizabeth’s first urge was to comfort her, but the tasks that needed to be done could not wait for the needs of the mourners.

Elizabeth sent a servant to fetch the undertaker. She did not know what needed to be done in a time like this, but she suspected this was the appropriate first step. She then went to her father’s study and draped a blanket over him. She knew it was not rational, but the thought he might be cold made panic rise up in her throat. She felt strangely better once he was covered, as if she really had assisted him.

By then, the undertaker arrived and began his work. Elizabeth answered his questions to the best of her ability, but later she found that she could not remember a single word of their conversation. She directed the servants to follow the undertaker’s instructions to take Mr. Bennet to an outbuilding to prepare him for viewing, grateful that in this, at least, she would have assistance.

The viewing! She had not even considered they would need to open their house so the neighbors could come and pay their respects. Her breath hitched in her throat, but she quickly regained her composure and began to instruct the servants on what needed to be done to prepare for that. Jane was back, having given Mrs. Bennet a tonic for nerves and helped soothe her to sleep, and Elizabeth was relieved to have another rational person helping her plan.

“Oh, the timing, Lizzy!” said Jane. “Mr. Collins is due back tomorrow. Who knows how long we will have to find somewhere else to live?”

“We are not without friends, Jane,” said Elizabeth, trying to convince herself as much as her sister. “We can stay with our Uncle and Aunt Phillips in Meryton if we need to.”

“But that is only a temporary solution,” said Jane. “Uncle Phillips does not have enough room to house six people forever.”

Elizabeth had already considered that, but she quickly dismissed the idea. She had to focus on the present if she was going to survive it.

“We will have to think about that when it happens, Jane. Try not to worry yourself.”

Elizabeth found that she could not take her own advice: her mind swirled with the terrible possibilities of what could happen. There was only one thing she knew for certain, and that was that the Bennets’ life was changed forever, and not for the better.

***

The following day, Mr. Collins returned. Upon being told the tragic news, his hands flew to his mouth to cover a gasp of sorrow. Elizabeth was relieved to see no joy in Mr. Collins’ face over his fortune in inheriting Longbourn.

“My dear cousin,” he said, “it will take me at least three months after the wedding to get my affairs in order enough to move to Hertfordshire. You, your sisters, and your mother are welcome to stay at Longbourn until that time.”

Elizabeth knew Mr. Collins was offering them more than he was required to, and she was certainly grateful, but her eyes nonetheless filled with tears at the idea they would have to find a new home in less than four months’ time. Wherever would they go? What would they do? If only Mr. Bingley had made an offer for Jane, as they had all expected him to; with Jane so well placed, she surely would be able to help her mother and sisters during their time of need. But it was not to be—Mr. Bingley had returned to London and Miss Caroline Bingley’s letter to Jane had made it clear there were no immediate plans to return. A new plan had to be formulated, and quickly.

The plans for Mr. Bennet’s viewing and funeral were set three days hence. Everyone at Longbourn, Bennets and servants alike, busied themselves with readying the house for the viewing. There were other tasks that needed attending: mourning clothes had to be obtained, and still the overall business of the farm had to continue apace. The time seemed to alternately drag and fly by as the funeral came closer.

***

A day before the funeral, the Bennets had a very unexpected guest. Thomas Rowe, the local butcher from Meryton, knocked on the door and was presented to Mrs. Bennet and her daughters. Mr. Rowe was a rough man of around forty-five. He thought himself to be good-humored, but as far as Elizabeth could tell, that humor centered around the mockery of other people. The fact he often smelled faintly of the carcasses he had butchered did not endear him to others, or make him easier to be around. On the rare occasions when Elizabeth’s business in town took her to Mr. Rowe’s shop, she endeavored to make as much haste as courtesy allowed; she had noticed that his eyes had a tendency to range over her form in a way that was beyond familiar.

“Mrs. Bennet,” he said with an exaggerated bow, “I wonder if I could talk with Miss Elizabeth. Alone.”

There was only one reason he would request a private audience-- to propose marriage. Lydia started laughing and continued until she almost could not breathe. “Please pardon her, Mr. Rowe,” said Mrs. Bennet. “Her grief shows itself in such strange ways.” With that, Mrs. Bennet hurried her other daughters out of the room.

Elizabeth’s first impulse was to make some objection; to say something, anything, to keep them from leaving her alone with Mr. Rowe. She was shocked. How could this man consider a proposal when her father was so recently gone? But then she remembered how her situation had been so recently diminished. If there was one advantage for considering a marriage with Mr. Rowe, it was that he was well to do, especially by Meryton standards; if she married him she might be able to save her family. She forced herself to at least hear him out, despite her distaste for the man.

“Miss Elizabeth,” began Mr. Rowe, “I was so sorry to hear what happened to your father.” To Elizabeth’s mind, he did not sound a bit sorry and he could hardly keep from grinning.

Regardless, she murmured her thanks.

“But it may be that this is an opportunity as much as it is a sorrow. I have long admired you about town, Miss Elizabeth.” His eyes raked over her in an extremely inappropriate way, and she had to stop herself from crossing her arms in a protective gesture. “I could take good care of you, if you were my wife; if you were a good wife, I could take care of your family as well.”

Elizabeth successfully resisted the urge to shudder. She did not know what constituted a “good wife” to a man like Mr. Rowe, and she certainly had no desire to find out; however, she was conscious enough of her situation to realize she could not refuse him outright.

“I thank you for your concern, Mr. Rowe. Recent events certainly have been difficult, and your offer is most generous. Unfortunately, I am not in a state at the current moment where I feel comfortable making any decisions. After my father’s funeral, I hope I will feel enough at peace that I can give your offer the consideration it deserves. Would it be possible for me to provide you an answer within a fortnight?”

“A fortnight I will give you, but not one day longer,” said he. “It would do you well to remember that the offers for you Bennet girls have not been forthcoming. It would be in your best interest to accept my offer, unless you care to give destitution a try.”

Elizabeth was too astonished to form an answer. Mr. Rowe smiled at her once more, bowed, and took his leave.

As soon as the door of the house closed behind him, Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth’s sisters rushed back into the study.

“Did he make you an offer?” asked Mrs. Bennet breathlessly.

“I did not even know you fancied him!” said Kitty.

“I am a bit surprised he asked for Lizzy, and not for me,” Lydia said with a pout, “not that I should have married that smelly old man anyway.”

“Hush, Lydia,” Jane said. “Lizzy, did he really offer for you?”

Elizabeth took a breath. “He did. I told him I would give him my answer in a fortnight.”

“In a fortnight?” cried Mrs. Bennet. “What is there to consider? We must send a letter right away telling him Lizzy accepts. Oh, we are saved! Mr. Rowe will make sure we are all well taken care of!”

“It is not your decision, and I have not yet made mine,” said Elizabeth, a bit too shortly. “I will not hear of this until our father has been laid to rest.”

“This is not just about you, Lizzy,” said Lydia. “This affects all of us. So maybe you should quit being so selfish and think of someone other than yourself for a change!”

Elizabeth could not bring herself to respond to Lydia’s preposterous statement; she only turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

***

Later that night, Elizabeth spoke with her dearest confidante, Jane.

“What am I to do, Jane?” she asked. “The idea of being married to Mr. Rowe!”

“Perhaps he is kinder than he appears,” Jane said, although she shook her head while speaking as though even her generous nature could not believe such a thing.

“The way he looks at me! It is more than improper. It is downright vulgar. If I was his wife, he would have the liberty to do with me as he pleases.”

“Oh, Lizzy.”

“But if I do not marry him, what will we do to support ourselves? How will we live? We cannot rely on our relations to support us forever.”

“But at what cost, my dear Lizzy? I cannot imagine you married to such a man.”

“I cannot think of it tonight. Either decision seems to me to be the wrong one. Either I marry a man whom I know I cannot love, or our family is reduced to the most base of circumstances. Mr. Rowe disgusts me, but is that something I can tolerate if it means that my family will be safe?”

_If only Mr. Bingley had not left so quickly_, thought Elizabeth. If he knew Jane was in such a situation, perhaps he would reconsider his connection to her. Elizabeth cursed Caroline Bingley for her role in separating two people who were so fond of each other. If only Elizabeth could get a message to Mr. Bingley, to tell him of the family’s great sorrow.

And then she was seized with an utterly audacious idea: what if Jane were to write a letter to Caroline Bingley? It would be improper for any of the Miss Bennets to write to Mr. Bingley directly, but Jane and Miss Bingley had corresponded on several occasions. Elizabeth suspected Miss Bingley would not be able to stay quiet if she was presented with the news of Mr. Bennet’s death; then, perhaps, Mr. Bingley would realize how much Jane needed him and he would return to Netherfield to save them all.

There was one great failing with this plan: Elizabeth could bring herself to ask Jane to do it. Jane would see such a plan as deceit, and it certainly would break her heart to be a party to it. This solution was no solution at all. Elizabeth resolved not to mention it to Jane. There was more than enough pain in their lives right now; there was no call to burden Jane with even more.


	2. Chapter 2

Fitzwilliam Darcy paced about the sitting room of his house in London. His entire way of looking at the world was in the process of being upended, and he did not care for it one bit. How he wished he could go back to a time when he had never heard the name Bennet!

When Charles Bingley let Netherfield, Darcy had been certain the local people would present a problem. They were quite a ways from London, and quite a ways from civilized people. The people of Meryton seemed so very provincial to him: coarse, noisy, and unrefined. And then Bingley had been foolish enough to pay special attention to Jane Bennet. Darcy understood the attraction Miss Bennet held for Bingley—she was both lovely and agreeable—but that was all Darcy saw in her. To his dismay, he saw his friend falling deeply in love with a woman of little standing and no substance while Miss Bennet appeared to do nothing more than sit back and wait for a man with a fortune to propose to her. Darcy suspected any man with a fortune would do.

Even if Darcy did not question Miss Bennet’s motives, there was the matter of the rest of her family. Her younger sisters were unbearably foolish, their mother was a shrill braggart, and even Mr. Bennet was not free from reproach, as he did nothing to remedy the spectacle of his wife and daughters.

Then there was the matter of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She was the reason for his current consternation. When he first had laid eyes upon her, he had not been impressed. She was pretty, as country girls go, but certainly no one that was of any consequence to him. And then, slowly, he had begun to know her better and her more amiable qualities had become more and more apparent. She was bright and witty; she was well-read, even by London standards; and she was willing to sidestep petty social conventions for the greater good. She was everything Darcy had never realized he wanted in a woman. And the more he studied her, the more he realized that he had quite misjudged her beauty upon their first meeting. Elizabeth Bennet would have been provincially pretty even if she had been a simpleton, but the sparkle in her eyes and the brilliance of her smile elevated her to true beauty.

Darcy groaned and dropped his head into his hands. If he was being honest, he was as concerned about his feelings towards Miss Elizabeth Bennet as he was about his friend’s towards Miss Jane Bennet. Their hasty removal from Netherfield had not been only to save Bingley, even if at the time Darcy had believed such. And, even there, Darcy was not sure he had made the right choice. Since they left Netherfield, Bingley had been more melancholy than Darcy had ever seen him. Upon their return to London, Bingley had not returned to society but had immediately planned to visit a friend in Scotland for an extended stay. Bingley claimed that the visit was to enjoy the estate’s pheasant hunting, but Darcy knew the hunt was not what drew him; rather, it was the distance and Bingley’s desperate hope that it would aid him in forgetting.

If only Darcy had such a diversion. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the quirk of Miss Elizabeth’s lips as she tried not to laugh at someone’s foolishness. That quirk had been directed at him more than once, and he was ashamed to admit he deserved the admonishment each time. He knew he had behaved in ways that were not gentlemanly, especially upon first arriving at Netherfield. He could not decide if he was glad or regretful about it. If Miss Elizabeth had shown even the slightest interest in him, he might not have been able to resist her. As things were, she openly loathed him, and it still took every ounce of strength for him not to declare his love for her any time they were in the same room.

Now, removed from the danger, Darcy had realized in shame that his concerns about Miss Bennet’s fitness for Mr. Bingley were not his primary motivation in urging his friend away from Netherfield. Rather, it was Darcy’s own fevered need to get away from Miss Elizabeth before he did something rash. It was not safe for him to be in the same county as her.

Upon reflection, he really did not find anything in Miss Jane Bennet’s behavior that made him believe she, herself, was scheming to marry a fortune. Her mother was another case entirely, but the eldest two Bennet girls did not suffer the same deficiencies in character that the rest of the family displayed. Darcy was forced to admit to himself that he took his friend away from a woman he loved, and who by all appearances loved him back, because it had been necessary for Darcy himself to leave.

He had to undo the damage he had done, but how? He did not feel comfortable writing all this down in a letter to send to Scotland. Who knew what prying eyes might fall upon it in transit? He resolved he must write to Bingley and ask him to return at his earliest opportunity. The letter itself would have to wait until the following day; at that moment, he was exhausted from his endeavors at understanding his own heart, and he craved the respite of sleep.

His dreams did nothing to comfort him, as they were filled with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, always one step out of his reach.


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth had never felt as truly desperate as she did in that moment. The very idea of marrying Mr. Rowe left her feeling ill, both in body and mind; she knew she could never love him, and she suspected her problems would be much greater than just a lack of love. But as Mr. Collins’ wedding moved ever closer, it was beginning to look like she would have to agree to Mr. Rowe’s proposal for the good of her family. It pained Elizabeth to even consider it, but her family needed to survive. As the wife of a butcher, she would be well-positioned to help them maintain themselves.

_If only Bingley had proposed to Jane!_ she thought for what must have been the sixth time in the past hour. Bingley’s proposal would be a joyous event regardless of the circumstances, but considering the current situation it would be an absolute saving gift.

Elizabeth thought once again of asking Jane to write to Caroline Bingley, but she dismissed that thought exactly as she had dismissed it every time it had occurred to her previously. Then Elizabeth got an idea. It could not be said to be a good idea, but it lately seemed that she was bereft of those anyway; it at least seemed to be a less bad idea than some of her other options.

Elizabeth sat down at her desk and quickly composed a letter to Caroline Bingley, informing her of the death of their father. And then, before her courage could desert her, she signed Jane’s name to it. Hopefully, by the time Jane found out about it, Bingley would be back at Netherfield and Jane would understand why Elizabeth had done it. She felt terribly guilty for what she was doing, but she was desperate.

She sealed the letter and rushed out the door to post it before she lost her nerve. Once the deed was done, her guilt began in earnest.

_Please, let this risk work—let it save us._

***

Georgiana was playing the piano forte and Darcy was trying as hard as he could not to think about Elizabeth Bennet when Miss Caroline Bingley was announced. Georgiana and Darcy shared a glance; neither of them was particularly fond of their guest, but it would be improper not to receive her.

“Oh, my dear Georgiana!” Miss Bingley cried as she swept into the room on a wave of expensive fabric. She rushed over and hugged Georgiana, who returned her embrace as politely as she could manage. “Why do you never come to call? It is not so far, and I would love to have you for tea.”

“Pardon me, Miss Bingley, but I have been working on a very difficult new piece of music, and I must admit I have been dreadfully remiss in my social calls,” replied Georgiana, and Darcy was impressed with his younger sister’s poise.

“Perhaps we can all dine together soon,” said Miss Bingley. “Oh, if only Charles had not run off on his little hunting trip, what a fair party the four of us should make!”

“Do sit, please, Miss Bingley,” Darcy said.

“Thank you, Mr. Darcy. You are always so very gallant,” Miss Bingley said, with a smile that tried to be fetching but just looked desperate. “Well!” she said, and it became clear she had some piece of news that she was anxious to share. “You will not believe from whom I have had a letter!”

She paused, and Darcy realized she was waiting for him to guess at the sender. “I cannot imagine. Please do tell us,” he said, mostly just to speed the conversation along.

“From Miss Jane Bennet, of all people!”

Darcy tried not to show too much interest, although he was anxious to hear why Jane wrote.

“It seems her father passed away not a fortnight after we took our leave from Netherfield! Is that not terrible? Miss Lucas told Charles that their estate is entailed. Whatever shall they do?”

Miss Bingley certainly did not act like it was terrible news as she relayed the information. She wore a smirk on her face that infuriated Darcy. Elizabeth had lost her beloved father, and Miss Bingley was treating the entire situation as if it was nothing more than foolish gossip.

“How horrible!” Georgiana said, showing far more concern than Miss Bingley. “Is there nowhere they can go?”

“Oh, they have relatives who will take them in, I am sure,” said Miss Bingley dismissively. “If they cannot find anywhere else, perhaps they can stay with their lawyer uncle in Cheapside.” She giggled behind her gloved hand and it took every ounce of restraint Darcy possessed not to throw her out of his house at that very moment.

He stood up and began to pace once again. He had never paced so much in his life as he had in the past week. “How very tragic for them.”

“Such a shock!” said Miss Bingley, who was still enjoying the situation far more than she should be.

All Darcy could think of was how distraught Elizabeth would be. And who else in that silly household would be able to manage what needed to be done? He suspected Elizabeth must be quite overwhelmed. He made a quick decision, which was not at all like him; but this situation certainly demanded a fast response.

“I feel I should return and offer any help they might require,” he said.

Miss Bingley’s head turned sharply and she stared at him. “You do? Whatever would make you think such an odd thing? You barely know the family.”

“But I do know them, and this is a particularly unfortunate situation. They do not have a brother on whom they can rely during this difficult time. Offering to assist in any way possible is only chivalrous.”

Miss Bingley did not look convinced. “But certainly there are people in that dusty heap they call Meryton who are better equipped and inclined to provide that assistance. Honestly, Darcy, you are not making any sense at all.”

Darcy knew his reasoning was flimsy, and he knew his continued attempts to explain it would become thinner and thinner, so he did not even try. “Miss Bingley, I have an immense favor to ask you.”

She looked offended. “Mr. Darcy, you may be resolved to run about the countryside to help these foolish women, but I have no intention of returning with you!”

“And I would never dream of imposing on you in such a manner.” That much, at least, was the complete truth. “Rather, I was hoping to secure your permission to lodge at Netherfield.”

Miss Bingley did not look happy about the request, but she could not think of a reason to deny it. “If you must go, at least you should have the comforts of Netherfield,” she conceded.

“I am forever grateful for your assistance in this,” said Darcy with a small bow. “I will leave as soon as I am packed.”

He looked at Georgiana for confirmation she would be able to spare him for the duration; she smiled and nodded slightly. Darcy might have thought his torments were his alone, but his sister knew him well enough she could nearly read his mind. It would not surprise him if she suspected he had unfinished business, nor that she hoped finishing it would bring him a measure of peace.

Darcy realized he had never written his intended letter to Bingley. “I regret that I have to request one more thing of you, Miss Bingley,” he said. “Would you be so good as to write to your brother and let him know of my intentions?” He suspected that knowing Jane Bennet was in distress would be enough to make Bingley cut his trip short.

Miss Bingley shared his suspicion. “Of course, Mr. Darcy,” she said with a tight smile. It was a letter she had no intention of writing.


	4. Chapter 4

“Goodness,” cried Kitty as she looked out the window. “A man on a horse approaches. He rides so fast!”

Mrs. Bennet was quickly next to Kitty at the window. “Oh, his clothes are so fine. It must be Mr. Bingley! He has returned for Jane! Everyone make yourselves presentable.” The relief in Mrs. Bennet’s face was obvious as she prepared the room to receive Mr. Bingley.

Elizabeth struggled not to smile at the idea her letter had worked. Mr. Bingley had come to make an offer to Jane, and the family would be saved. She would not be obligated to marry the terrible Mr. Rowe after all.

“No, Mother,” said Kitty. “It is not Mr. Bingley. It is that strange man who is always around Mr. Bingley—Mr. Darcy. What could he possibly want here?”

Elizabeth’s mood fell as quickly as it had risen. She did not know what business Mr. Darcy had at Longbourn, but she knew it could not possibly be to their benefit. If Mr. Bingley was in Hertfordshire he should not have sent Mr. Darcy alone to visit the Bennets.

***

Darcy dismounted and handed the bridle to the Bennets’ groom. He adjusted his hat and his gloves and realized he was very nervous. He still had not the slightest idea what he would say to Miss Elizabeth nor how he would explain his presence at Longbourn. He would have to figure it out as he spoke. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He was admitted and led to the sitting room, where the Bennet women sat looking proper and not at all surprised by his visit.

“Mr. Darcy,” said Mrs. Bennet regally, “welcome to Longbourn. To what do we owe this unexpected visit?”

Darcy bowed low. “Madam, I have heard the terrible news about Mr. Bennet. I returned to Netherfield to offer you any assistance you may need.”

Elizabeth was shocked by his statement and worked hard to keep it from showing on her face. The only assistance they needed was that of Mr. Bingley. She could not imagine what Mr. Darcy thought he could do.

“Well, Mr. Darcy,” said Lydia, “you could marry my dear sister Lizzy and keep her from marrying that horrible butcher!”

Elizabeth turned white and then red in embarrassment. “Please excuse Lydia, sir. Sometimes the words are out of her mouth before she even considers them.”

“What is this about marrying a butcher?” asked Darcy, confused.

“Oh!” continued Lydia, “Mr. Rowe made Lizzy an offer right before Papa’s funeral. Of course, Lizzy does not want to accept it as Mr. Rowe is just awful, but what else are we to do?”

Jane stepped over and took Lydia's arm firmly. “Let us go for a walk,” she said. “I could certainly use the fresh air. Kitty, come with us.” Kitty looked none too happy to leave but she followed her sisters out the door.

“Mr. Darcy, please forgive Lydia’s impertinence. The shock of our father’s death has affected us all deeply, and sometimes she does not realize what she had said,” said Elizabeth.

Darcy had no concerns about Lydia but plenty about Elizabeth.

“Is it true Mr. Rowe has offered for you?” he asked, trying to keep his voice from sounding strained and nearly succeeding.

“It is, sir,” replied Elizabeth.

“I was not aware there was a connection between the two of you.”

“There has not been. When he heard of our troubles, he made the offer in hopes of assisting us.”

Darcy doubted that greatly. It was more likely the fact that the man saw an opportunity and took it.

“Should I wish you congratulations?” he asked.

“Not as of yet, as I have not answered him,” Elizabeth replied uncomfortably.

“Well, he will be a fortunate man if you do him the honor of becoming his wife. Mrs. Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Mary, if there is anything I can do to be of service to you, please feel free to call upon me. I will be staying at Netherfield.”

With that, Darcy bowed and made as quick a retreat as dignity allowed from the house.

***

Why had he been so arrogant as to think he was the only one who had noticed Elizabeth? Darcy’s anger was mostly directed at himself for being blind to the fact Elizabeth might have other suitors. Why would he not imagine other men might be similarly impressed with Miss Elizabeth?

He had not been able to clearly get a sense of whether Elizabeth was inclined to the match with the butcher. She had seemed uncomfortable when speaking about it, but Darcy could not be sure whether it was the situation or her dislike of her suitor that caused her to react in such a way. And if she was not pleased with the match, was it too late for her to consider another offer?

Darcy had not intended to make Elizabeth an offer any time soon, of course; he had only hoped to provide any service that was necessary in the aftermath of such a tragedy. Although, upon reflection, he realized he had never been opposed to the idea of his being improved in Miss Elizabeth’s esteem.

Darcy leaned back in his chair in the Netherfield study, swirling his brandy in its glass. He had not expected to find clarity in the drink, but the more he thought about the circumstances, the more determined he became: he could not let Elizabeth marry another man without making an offer for her.

He was not sure how he would react if she rejected him. He tried that idea out for a bit—how would he feel if she would rather be married to the local butcher than to be wed to him? He shuddered at the thought of Elizabeth choosing the coarse tradesman over him. He took another swallow of the brandy and felt it warm him from within. Now was not the time to lose courage.

He finished his drink and retired for the night. Regardless of the outcome, he knew the following day would be an eventful one.


	5. Chapter 5

“Here is Mr. Darcy again!” Kitty called from her position as lookout at the front window. Mrs. Bennet took much less care in arranging the tableau of girls now that she knew Mr. Bingley was not with him. Elizabeth felt suddenly nervous and alert. Mr. Darcy had offered his help the previous day, but what reason would he have to visit again so soon?

Darcy was shown in to the sitting room and bowed to everyone present.

“What a surprise, Mr. Darcy,” said Mrs. Bennet. “To what do we owe the pleasure of another visit?”

“Mrs. Bennet, I was hoping that I might have a few moments to speak with Miss Elizabeth.”

“Certainly,” Mrs. Bennet responded. “There she is, working on her embroidery.”

Darcy turned red. “I was hoping to speak with her alone,” he said, his voice catching on the last word.

“Oh. Oh!” said Mrs. Bennet, as though she finally understood. “Let us take our leave, girls.”

***

Darcy could not make eye contact with anyone in the room as they left. He felt wildly uncomfortable, but within the constraints of the current situation he knew this was his only chance.

Elizabeth stared at him in confusion, as if she could not understand what was happening.

“Miss Bennet, I know that this is quite unusual,” he began. “I do not know your feelings towards Mr. Rowe, and I apologize if this is an intrusion. However, if your feelings towards him are not strong and you are considering this union purely for practical reasons, I would feel remiss if I did not speak to you.”

He paused, looking for her reaction.

“The strength of my feelings is not what it should be in a woman who is to be married,” she responded in a shaky voice. She had not intended to speak, but the words had tumbled out on their own.

“Please allow me to present you with another option,” Darcy said. “I would be honored if you would consider becoming my wife.”

“Your wife?” Elizabeth whispered. “Sir, you have made it clear that you can hardly bear to be in the same room as me.”

“I apologize with all my heart that you have that impression of me,” he said. He knew that it would be difficult for her to forget his terrible behavior on the occasion when they first met, and he cursed himself yet again for his prior foolishness. “It is not true. Indeed, I have the greatest respect for you, and that is why I do not wish to see you marry below your station if it is not your fondest wish to do so.”

“So you are here to save my reputation?” Elizabeth asked sharply. “Your thought is only to maintain my status as a gentleman’s daughter?”

“Of course that is not the only reason for my offer,” he replied.

She did not respond, but looked at him pointedly and waited for him to continue.

“I admire the quickness of your mind. I feel that you could be the mistress that Pemberley deserves,” he said. _And I love you_, whispered his heart, but he did not speak the words.

“Mr. Darcy, I do not know what you could have possibly seen in my character that would lead you to believe that I would be a fit mistress for a grand estate,” said Elizabeth. Her eyes softened a bit. “However, I do know this offer is a most generous one, and I will give it the consideration it deserves. May I have the night to consider it?”

Darcy’s heart leapt. It was not a yes, but neither was it a no.

“I will call tomorrow morning. Will that give you the time that you need?”

She nodded. “It will, sir.”

Darcy bowed. “Until tomorrow,” he said, and took his leave.

It was not until he left the room that Elizabeth realized how much she was shaking. Two offers, and neither from men that she had believed had any concern for her whatsoever.

Elizabeth stoutly refused to answer any questions about Mr. Darcy’s visit. In response to her mother’s repeated questions, she could only reply “we are not engaged” over and over again. It was not until she and Jane had retired for the evening that Elizabeth was able to speak of what had occurred.

“He offered for you? What did you tell him?” Jane asked.

“I asked for a night to consider it, but, Jane, is there really any consideration to be done? Mr. Darcy has been stiff and pompous, but his disagreeable traits pale in comparison to Mr. Rowe’s.”

“Yes, I agree with you.”

“But I cannot see myself as Mr. Darcy’s wife!”

“I think he will be kind to you, Lizzy. The fact that he hopes to help you by marrying you speaks highly of his character.”

“Yes, it certainly was unexpected. I know I must choose one of them, and if I must, then it will be Mr. Darcy.”

Jane smiled and embraced her sister. “I think you have made the best choice,” she said.

Elizabeth knew that, of the two offers that had been made, Mr. Darcy’s was by far the best. But sleep was a long time coming that night as she worried about exactly what it would mean to be his wife. Her hope had always been to marry for love. It appeared, at that moment, that she would marry for survival instead.


	6. Chapter 6

Darcy arrived at Longbourn late the following morning. He, also, had slept precious little the previous night. He did not know that his pride could stand it if Elizabeth’s dislike of him was so strong that she would choose a town butcher over him. He hoped that he would not have to find out.

Elizabeth was alone in the sitting room when he was introduced. She was shaking a bit and she tried her hardest to calm herself. She did not want Mr. Darcy to know how very nervous she was.

Darcy was even more nervous, although he was better at hiding his emotions than she. He watched as she rose from the settee and walked over to him.

“I have considered your offer, sir,” she said, “and I accept. I will become your wife.”

Darcy let out a breath he did not even know that he was holding. He reached for her hand, and she hesitated for a moment before putting her hand in his.

“I could not be happier,” he said, working to keep his voice even.

She distrusted his words, but she was filled with relief not to marry the butcher. The mere thought of what might happen to her as Mr. Rowe’s wife made her shudder. Surely a marriage to Mr. Darcy _must_ be preferable.

“What comes next?” she whispered, some of the fear that she felt trickling into her voice.

“Next, I believe that we plan for a wedding.”

“That should not be difficult. As we are still in mourning, it will need to be a small affair.”

“Whatever you desire,” he said, and he meant those words in every way possible.

***

Elizabeth stared across the table at her new husband. She did not know if she could ever reconcile the word “husband” with Mr. Darcy. Yet she did have to admit he had been exceptionally kind.

He had accompanied her to tell Mr. Rowe that she had accepted another offer. Elizabeth was grateful for Darcy’s presence, as she did not trust the butcher to handle the situation in a mannered way. Indeed, her suspicions were proven quite correct.

“Found a fancy man, did you?” Mr. Rowe had sneered at her. “I ought to have known that it was money that would turn your head.”

Elizabeth could think of no response - had Mr. Rowe not made it clear that the only benefit he could provide her was a degree of financial security? Who was he to judge her?

“I will thank you not to speak to my fiancee in that manner,” Darcy had said, a hint of a growl making its way into his voice. “Come, Elizabeth. There is nothing else to be done here.”

“And do not think of coming to me for arrangements for a wedding feast!” Mr. Rowe had called out behind them, unable to allow them to leave without one final word.

“You flatter yourself, sir,” said Darcy, swinging the door to the butcher shop closed behind him and escorting a very relieved Elizabeth back to Longbourn.

Darcy also had handled the arrangements for the wedding, which was a small affair as Elizabeth had requested. And now he sat at the Bennets’ table eating a quiet meal with the family, who were still in mourning, rather than throwing a larger wedding brunch. Elizabeth could not believe that this was the same man who had callously dismissed her as “not handsome enough” upon their first meeting.

None of this meant she entirely trusted him. She did not have a good explanation for the change in his actions towards her. She did have to admit, however, that she could think of no benefit that he received from marrying her. She certainly did not bring a large dowry to the marriage and she was not as fashionable or as sophisticated as the other women in his social circle. Try as she might, she could not find a selfish motive to assign to him in regards to their marriage.

The happiest person at the table appeared to be Mrs. Bennet. Her opinion of Mr. Darcy had changed drastically as soon as she discovered that he had offered for Elizabeth. He was now quite her favorite person, which was a trial for Darcy. She asked him unending questions about Pemberley and wished aloud, on several occasions, to view its splendor for herself.

Darcy knew what Mrs. Bennet was hinting towards and he nearly shuddered. He dearly hoped that Elizabeth would not want her mother to live with them. His feeling for Elizabeth were strong, but living with Mrs. Bennet would be enough to strain anyone’s goodwill.

“We should discuss your living arrangements,” he said, in order to direct Mrs. Bennet’s thoughts to a home that was not Pemberley. “Do you wish to stay in Hertfordshire, or is there somewhere else you would be more comfortable? London, perhaps?”

At the mention of this, Mrs. Bennet’s hands began to flutter with excitement. “Why, I had not even considered London! My husband did not like town at all, but I find it so exciting. My brother and his wife live there. Perhaps I could live close to them!”

“Would it not be a better idea, Mama,” said Elizabeth gently, “to keep my sisters where they are familiar? Where people know and love you?”

“Oh, but perhaps it is time for a change, Lizzy. You certainly will be living a different life! Why should we not?”

“But Mama!” said Lydia, and it was possible to hear the pout in her voice. “The regiment is stationed here, and there are so many young men who admire me. I do not wish to leave now. Perhaps after the regiment moves on.”

“What a good point, my darling!” Mrs. Bennet said, reaching to pat Lydia’s hand. “We would not want to remove you from this situation if there is a chance of you making a good match. Mr. Darcy, I believe that we will stay here for now. Perhaps a house in Meryton, near my sister?”

“I will arrange for it, and see you comfortably settled.”

“Oh, Mr. Darcy, what a true gentleman you are!” Mrs. Bennet replied.

He cared not a bit if she thought so, but he cared very much if Elizabeth did. He looked over at her and realized that she was staring out the window with a look on her face that appeared to be fear. _How could I have been so foolish?_ he thought. _She is worried about our wedding night. _He regretted that he could not take her aside that instant and soothe her fears by telling her that he was prepared to wait to consummate the marriage until she felt ready, but he could not think of an excuse to do so. He resolved to tell her as soon as he could get her alone.

Darcy was correct in his assumption. Elizabeth was terrified of what would happen between them later that night. She had some sense of what it was that husbands and wives did - she had been around livestock all her life, after all. However, she did not know any of the specifics. Her mother had taken her aside the previous night and whispered about “doing your duty” and mentioned that it would hurt at first, but that it would not always. Even more than the thought of pain, Elizabeth was petrified at the fact that she would be so close to Mr. Darcy. For all his kindness, he was still practically a stranger to her. She glanced at him and realized he was watching her, so she schooled her face into a more neutral expression. She did not want to provide him with any more intimacies than were required as his wife; her thoughts were hers and hers alone. She might have lost the life that she had led in the past, but her mind still was and always would be her own.

***

After the meal, Darcy suggested that he and Elizabeth return to Netherfield. More than anything, he hoped to get some time to speak with her without one of her relatives fluttering about. Mrs. Bennet gave him a knowing look that he did not appreciate in the slightest. Her idea of what would go on at Netherfield was worlds away from the truth.

Elizabeth gathered some things she would need and the two ascended the carriage for Netherfield.

Darcy was careful to sit across from Elizabeth, rather than next to her. He did not want her to feel that he was taking liberties, even in their newly-wedded state.

“Elizabeth, I must speak with you in regards to a sensitive matter,” he said.

She held her breath. This was when they would discuss the wedding night. She wished that she could think of something, anything, to postpone this conversation.

“I hope that someday we will be husband and wife in more than name alone,” Darcy said “It is my intention to wait until that day for our marriage to be consummated.”

Elizabeth let out the breath she had been holding and stared at him in astonishment. “But, sir, it is your right to do with me as you will.”

“What I shall do with you,” he said with a ghost of a smile, “is make sure that you are well taken care of and protected. Do not think that this arrangement does not benefit me. I will expect you to take over the household management at Pemberley. I believe that you are more than capable of this.”

Elizabeth nodded, not even considering what would be required of her as the mistress of Pemberley. She was so relieved that he did not intend to consummate their marriage until she was ready. A_nd what if I am never ready?_ whispered a voice in the back of her mind. She bade the voice be quiet. She would deal with that situation when it arose. For now, she had plenty to learn to keep her mind occupied.


	7. Chapter 7

Two weeks passed quickly for the Bennets and the Darcys. Darcy wasted no time finding a house for the Bennets in Meryton. Mrs. Bennet was in raptures upon seeing it.

“What a lovely house! And so very close to my sister! Jane, come and see the light in the parlor. Oh, this shall be perfect!”

Darcy also gave the Bennets an allowance to decorate their new house. When all was done, Mrs. Bennet hardly needed to spend a crown of her marriage settlement on the move, leaving her well-situated towards the future.

Kitty and Lydia flew through the rooms of the new house to choose their room. They decided on a bedroom with a fine view and begged their mother for it until she consented. Of course, the largest bedroom went to Mrs. Bennet. There were enough rooms left over for Jane and Mary to each have their own.

Elizabeth thought how the house would never be her home. She had a new home now, and a grand one, from what she had heard of it. The weeks since the wedding had given her plenty of time to consider what would be required of her. She had agreed to Mr. Darcy’s desire for her to manage the home, but still she had only a vague idea of what that involved. Her only experience was in watching her father maintain their estate, and maintenance had not seemed to take up too much of his mind. She hoped desperately that Darcy would provide her with some direction in what must be done.

As for Darcy, he longed for Elizabeth each night, although his resolve to wait until she was ready was strong. It was difficult to have a wife with whom he was in love and not to show any signs of affection towards her. This was a new feeling for Darcy. All of his life, he had tried to rely on his intellect alone, rather than his passions. Never before, though, had any of his passions been this strong. He would have to win his wife over sooner rather than later, for his own sake.

***

After the Bennets were settled in their new home, it was time for Darcy and Elizabeth to make the trip to Pemberley. Elizabeth packed a few of her favorite dresses, even though she knew that they were not fine enough for the mistress of an estate such as Pemberley. Darcy had told her they would have new clothing made when they arrived home; until then, she could continue to wear her own comfortable clothing. She also packed some mementos of her family. She was moving quite some ways from them, and even though she knew that she would see them, she was distraught to leave them, especially Jane, whom Elizabeth knew still pined for Mr. Bingley.

Mr. Bingley! She had not given him a single thought since before the wedding. She would undoubtedly see him now that she was wed to Darcy and she would get the chance to discuss Jane’s amiable qualities. Perhaps there was still a match to be made? The thought cheered her greatly.

Darcy planned to stop in London so that Elizabeth could see the town house and meet Georgiana. After that, the three of them would make the trip to Pemberley together.

Elizabeth was nervous about meeting Georgiana. She wondered if Darcy’s sister was much like Bingley’s sisters. She hoped that was not the case, as she could hardly stand to be in the same room as Caroline Bingley; hopefully Georgiana would prove to be more gracious and agreeable than Miss Bingley.

Almost before Elizabeth realized it, she was packed and her sisters were hugging her goodbye.

“Goodbye, Lydia. Goodbye, Kitty. Do behave yourselves with the officers. Do not do anything that would reflect poorly on the family,” she said sternly. After her warning, she embraced both of them warmly. Their judgment might not be ideal, but they were her sisters and despite all, she loved them dearly.

“Goodbye, Mary. I look forward to seeing your progress on the piano forte the next time we meet.”

She and Mary embraced, and Elizabeth heard a small sniffle from her sister. Elizabeth smiled and whispered, “I will miss you too.”

Finally, she came to Jane. “Oh, my dearest sister,” she said, and it was only at that moment that her tears began. “Whatever shall I do without you?”

“You are off on a grand adventure, Lizzy,” said Jane, her eyes also full of tears. “Do not forget me.”

“Never could I,” said Elizabeth, and the girls sobbed in each other’s arms.

“Oh, I shall have none of that!” cried Mrs. Bennet. “Lizzy, you get along. We shall see you soon. There is no need for tears!”

Elizabeth allowed herself to be folded into her mother’s arms for a moment, then extricated herself and climbed up into the carriage. The younger girls ran after them, waving and crying their goodbyes. Elizabeth was unable to stop the tears for quite some time into their journey.


	8. Chapter 8

The trip to London was awkward. Neither of them was sure what to talk about, though both could feel there was much to say in the silence that hung between them. Elizabeth spent a long time staring out the window. Finally, in an attempt at conversation, she asked Darcy about Georgiana.

Darcy’s mouth softened into an easy smile as he spoke about her sister.

“I may not be the most impartial judge, but she is an exceptional young lady. She spends much of her time practicing the piano forte and in those other pursuits that take up so much of ladies’ time. But more than that, she is a lovely person. She is kind and witty. I believe that the two of you will like each other quite a bit.”

Elizabeth smiled. It was clear how much Darcy loved his sister, and by his description, Elizabeth allowed herself to hope that she would quickly grow to love Georgiana as well. _How much easier this experience would be with a sister!_ she thought longingly.

“Is she out in society yet?” asked Elizabeth.

Darcy was instantly guarded once again. “She is not. I think it best if she waits several years before being presented. After all, she is just sixteen.”

Elizabeth stifled a laugh at the thought of anyone trying to prevent fifteen-year-old Lydia from coming out—or indeed from doing anything that she wanted. Her parents had never been especially good at discipline and Elizabeth knew that things would not be improved by Mr. Bennet’s death.

Darcy interpreted the laugh as directed towards him. Elizabeth could actually see him putting on the face he wore in public: disinterested, cool, and distant.

“I see no cause for laughter,” said he. “Just so there are not any misunderstandings, please know that I and my cousin make the decisions about Georgiana’s care. Even if you do not agree with those decisions, I expect you to abide by them. Georgiana is more delicate than your sisters, certainly, and would never be allowed to parade about unsupervised as they often are.”

Elizabeth’s hand flew to her cheek as if he had slapped her with his hand instead of with his words.

“I assure you, sir, that it was not the care of your sister that I laughed about, but rather the lack of care that my own have received,” she said.

Darcy instantly understood the magnitude of the mistake that he had made. Any goodwill that he had developed with his new bride had disappeared with one haughty statement, and he was unsure how to make it right. He leaned forward and took her hand.

“I apologize for my rush to judgment, Elizabeth. Please know that I am a difficult man, and set in my ways, but I will try my best to be a good husband to you.”

Elizabeth did not immediately respond. Darcy was unconsciously rubbing his thumb over the knuckles of her hand and she could not focus on anything but that sensation. Her skin seemed to prickle where he touched her. She realized he was staring at her and spoke.

“I thank you for your apology. It may take some time before we are able to understand one another.”

Darcy nodded his head in agreement and then realized what his traitorous thumb was doing, running itself over her knuckles. Elizabeth did not seem to be in any hurry for him to stop, but at the same time he did not wish to make her uncomfortable if she was merely tolerating the touch for his benefit.

Darcy released her hand and settled back into his own seat again, his eyes focused outside the carriage. When he looked back, Elizabeth was staring intently at him with a look of curiosity on her face. He normally did not like people looking at him closely, but he discovered that he did not mind when Elizabeth did it. There were a great many things that would bother him if anyone but she did them.

They returned to silence after this conversation, but it felt different to Elizabeth than the previous silence. Before, the quiet had been awkward; now, however, it felt as though the air was more charged. She was on her guard with Darcy; she had been shocked at how quickly he had retreated into being the Darcy she met for the first time at the assembly house dance. That was certainly someone to whom Elizabeth had no interest in being married. However, the contrition he had shown soothed her worries a bit, and seemed more in character with the man who had married her to no obvious benefit of his own.

But still—which was the real Mr. Darcy? To whom was she wed? And for that matter, what of the tingling sensations that prickled under her skin when they touched? She did not have the answer to a single of these questions. She once again looked out the window at the countryside. This marriage might turn out to be much more complicated than she had originally hoped.

***

Finally, the carriage arrived at Darcy’s London house. Elizabeth had to try hard not to gasp. It was lovely white stone, and, like the houses that surrounded it, impressively large. She counted twelve windows facing out towards the street, each one gleaming in the sun. Two columns on either side of the large front door held up a pediment. Elizabeth, who was used to the houses in Cheapside where her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner lived, was overwhelmed by the grandeur of Grosvenor Street.

Darcy enjoyed seeing Elizabeth’s reaction to one of her new homes. To him, this was simply a house, but he could see her awe. It made him look forward, even more, to when she got her first glimpse of Pemberley.

Georgiana met them at the door.

“Brother!” she cried, and embraced him. “And you have brought me a sister as well!”

“Georgiana, this is my wife, Elizabeth.”

They curtsied to one another.

“Oh, I am so delighted to meet you!” said Georgiana. “My brother has told me so much of you I feel as if I know you already.”

Elizabeth glanced at Darcy, wondering when he had made these statements, as he and Georgiana had not seen each other for some time. Did he discuss her in letters that he had sent?

“It is lovely to meet you, as well,” said Elizabeth. She found she liked Georgiana right away, and she was relieved to discover that Miss Darcy bore no resemblance whatsoever to Miss Bingley.

“We have so much to talk about,” said Georgiana, taking Elizabeth’s hand. “You must tell me all about your family.”

Darcy smiled indulgently at Georgiana. “You will have time to get to know one another. However, I think that Elizabeth might need to rest after our trip.”

“Yes, of course, how careless of me,” said Georgiana. “I have had your rooms made up for you. I will show you to them, and you can see if there is anything else that you will need.”

Elizabeth allowed herself to be pulled along by Georgiana. She felt more comfortable than she had since before she began her journey. It was a relief to find how much she instantly liked Georgiana; it was most comforting to have a friend.

***

The following day, Elizabeth saw someone else that she considered a friend. Darcy and Elizabeth were listening to Georgiana play the piano forte when a visitor was announced: Mr. Bingley.

Darcy was up and across the floor almost as soon as Bingley was announced. “Bingley! How good to see you.”

“It seems that much has happened since I left,” said Bingley, smiling at Elizabeth. “It is such a pleasure to see you, Mrs. Darcy.”

She returned his smile. “And you, Mr. Bingley.”

“I had hoped that you might join me at Netherfield,” Darcy said, trying to keep his tone light.

“And I would have, had I known what happened,” said Bingley. “Mrs. Darcy, I am so very sorry for your loss. I was shocked when I learned of it yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” said Darcy. “But I asked Caroline to write to you weeks ago to let you know the reason I would be staying at Netherfield.”

“Caroline was distraught when she realized that she had forgotten to inform me,” said Bingley. “She told me of the situation yesterday.”

Darcy was not as sure as his friend that it had been a mistake, and he silently cursed himself for relying on Caroline to relay such important information.

“But all of that is past now, and I am so very delighted for the two of you,” said Bingley. “Darcy would have had a difficult time finding a more agreeable or lovely wife than you, Mrs. Darcy.”

Elizabeth could think of some people who might disagree with Mr. Bingley, but she kept her tongue.

“You must come dine with us,” said Mr. Bingley. “Louisa and Mr. Hurst are on holiday, but Caroline would be delighted to see all of you.”

It was all that Elizabeth could do to maintain her countenance at this statement. She knew full well that she was the last person that Caroline Bingley wanted to see; indeed, Elizabeth suspected that Miss Bingley may have intentionally neglected to send word of Mr. Bennet’s death to Mr. Bingley, in an attempt to prevent him from traveling to Jane. Miss Bingley was worried about her brother wedding a Bennet; instead, Mr. Darcy had. Elizabeth knew that any dislike that Miss Bingley held for her had likely bloomed into animosity.

“We would be delighted to accept your kind invitation,” said Darcy.

“Shall we say tomorrow evening?” asked Bingley.

“Certainly. We will look forward to seeing you and Miss Bingley tomorrow.”

With that, Mr. Bingley smiled, bowed, and took his leave.


	9. Chapter 9

Dinner at the Bingleys’ was an interesting affair. Elizabeth sat between Georgiana and Mr. Bingley and greatly enjoyed speaking with both of them. Miss Bingley and Darcy sat on the other side of the table. Even more so than in the past, Elizabeth could not help but notice how much attention Miss Bingley paid to Darcy. At one point Miss Bingley was so bold as to put her hand on his wrist as she laughed at something he had said. Elizabeth was gladdened to see that Darcy moved his hand away slightly to break the contact, which made Miss Bingley scowl.

“So, Mrs. Darcy,” Miss Bingley said, “I trust that you are prepared for the task of managing Pemberley? It is such a fine estate and there will be so very many tasks that require your attention.”

Darcy spoke before Elizabeth had a chance to respond. “I trust Elizabeth’s judgment and ability. I know that she will learn quickly.”

“Let us hope that nothing too formidable happens while she is learning,” said Miss Bingley with exaggerated concern. “It would be terrible if something were to happen to Pemberley.”

“Pemberley has weathered many things,” said Darcy, straining to keep his voice light and his growing anger from showing though. “I do not suspect that Elizabeth’s taking some time to learn how things are done will cause any ruin to come to the estate. Besides, I shall be there as well if she needs assistance.”

This was the first time that Darcy mentioned a willingness to help her, and Elizabeth inwardly sighed in relief. Of course Darcy would not let any harm come to Pemberley, but to hear him say so aloud was reassuring. It made Elizabeth feel slightly less pressured to do everything perfectly from the start—not that she would not still aim for perfection, of course.

“It shall be interesting, to say the least,” sniffed Miss Bingley.

Georgiana saw the need to steer the conversation in a different direction, so she complimented Miss Bingley’s dress. That led to an exhaustive description of how and where the dress was made, where the fabric came from, and how hard Miss Bingley had had to work to find the appropriate shoes to wear with it. Elizabeth normally would not have been relieved for such a conversation, but it was substantially better than being interrogated. She thought once again about Georgiana’s easy grace in changing the discussion, and she was grateful to have such an ally.

Elizabeth took the opportunity to speak with Mr. Bingley. “It is unfortunate that you did not receive word of Father’s death,” she said. “We were in need of friends during that dark time.”

“I recall when I lost my father,” Bingley said. “I know what a trying time it is.”

“Jane, especially, was hard hit. And now she has to care for my mother and my silly sisters by herself.”

It was not subtle, but Elizabeth did not care.

“Oh!” said Bingley. He seemed to Elizabeth to be trying to remain calm and failing badly. “How is your sister? That is, how are all of your sisters?”

“The youngest three are as they ever were. As I said, Jane suffered heavily the loss of our father.”

“Certainly there must be suitors lining up for her,” he said.

“Not at present. Even if there were, I know that Jane’s heart belongs to one man alone.”

Even Mr. Bingley could not miss the meaning of that. “Do you think she would still have me?” he whispered. “After I left so very suddenly?”

“I believe that she would, although you would not be remiss in a hearty apology.”

Bingley’s eyes shined and he smiled radiantly at Elizabeth. “Mrs. Darcy, this is the best news you could have given me. I have missed her ever so much since my departure.”

“She waits for you,” said Elizabeth. “But you had better hurry, as she does not know you are coming for her.”

Elizabeth, of all people, knew the strain of receiving an unwanted marriage proposal and believing it the only option. She did not want Jane to have to go through that because she was not yet aware of Mr. Bingley’s feelings.

“What are you two talking about down there?” Caroline said from the other end of the table.

“Caroline, Mrs. Darcy has given me the finest news. Miss Bennet still esteems me!”

Miss Bingley’s eyes narrowed to a glare as she looked at Elizabeth. Elizabeth did not care in the slightest.

“So what will you do with this information?” asked Darcy with a smile.

Bingley returned the smile. “I leave for Netherfield in the morning,” he said.

Elizabeth never would have imagined that a dinner with Miss Bingley could make her so happy, but this was the most fortuitous evening she could remember. She only wished she could be with Jane when Mr. Bingley asked her to be his bride. Elizabeth’s heart ached as she longed for her sister, but if all went according to plan, she might see Jane sooner than she had expected. Soon Elizabeth would leave for Pemberley with her husband. The only direction to look was forward.


	10. Chapter 10

The Darcys stayed in London for several more days. On the fourth day after dining with the Bingleys, Elizabeth received the letter she had been hoping for. She and Georgiana were conversing in the sitting room when it arrived. She tore it open quickly and read what her sister had written.

“Jane is to marry Mr. Bingley,” she said triumphantly.

“Oh, it is so romantic,” Georgiana said. “I shall only marry for love.”

Georgiana seemed to quickly realize the error in what she had said. Certainly she would never be in a situation where she would have to marry a man she did not love because of unfortunate circumstances; her status afforded her a freedom that Elizabeth had been denied.

Nonetheless, Elizabeth felt the need to comfort her new sister. “Perhaps one day you might be swept away by a tall, handsome man, just as I have been,” she said lightly.

“But perhaps a bit more blond,” mused Georgiana.

“If that is your preference.”

Georgiana’s eyes suddenly looked sad. “I have not had good luck with dark-haired men.”

Elizabeth was surprised to hear this. What luck had Georgiana had with any men? She thought back to Darcy’s statement about Georgiana’s delicacy. Was there more to that story than she understood? She could not ask directly, but she wondered if Georgiana would ever trust her enough to tell the story behind her statement.

At that moment, Darcy came into the room. Elizabeth told him the news, and he seemed genuinely happy for Mr. Bingley and Jane.

_If only Mr. Bingley had known!_ she thought. _He would have proposed to Jane, and I would have been free to marry for love._

She looked at Darcy, who met her eyes and smiled. Certainly she could have done worse for herself. But at the same time, would she ever be able to work out the mystery of who her husband really was? She hoped that she would. It would not do to be this confused for the rest of her life.

***

The following day they left for Pemberley. This trip was much less awkward than the previous one, in large part because Elizabeth had Georgiana to speak to. She was relieved how quickly she had come to like and trust her sister-in-law.

Elizabeth had never been to the Peak District before, although she had heard about it from her Aunt Gardiner, who was raised in the village of Lambton. It was a beautiful trip, and the land was much more dramatic than what Elizabeth was used to from living in Hertfordshire. She did not know if she would ever be able to consider this hilly terrain to be her home. It was yet another thing to which she would need to adjust.

More quickly than Elizabeth had expected, Darcy announced that they were turning onto Pemberley land. The carriage drove down a tree-lined lane. Elizabeth strained to see the house, but it was not visible.

“The estate is rather large,” said Georgiana. “It will be a bit before the house comes into view.”

Elizabeth smiled nervously and took in the view of the countryside. It was beautiful, even in the winter with the leaves off the trees. She could not imagine how extraordinary the view would be in spring and summer, when everything was in bloom.

“There it is,” Georgiana said.

Elizabeth looked, and finally got her first glimpse of Pemberley. It was even more splendid than she had expected. It rose majestically from the manicured park to the sky. The rectangular house was a wonder of windows, pillars, and stone. She had never seen a house so large, and suddenly the town house did not seem quite as impressive.

The carriage stopped in front of the large stairway leading to the main entrance. Elizabeth could not stop staring, even as she alighted the carriage. How could anyone live in a home this large and this fine?

Darcy offered her his arm, and she took it, relieved to have something to hold on to. The butler met them at the top of the stairs.

“Welcome home, Mr. Darcy; Mrs. Darcy; Miss Darcy.”

They continued into the entrance hall, which was no less impressive than what she had already seen. The ceiling soared above them, covered in frescoes. The marble floor seemed to amplify each footfall. Ahead of her, Elizabeth saw a grand stairway, in front of which waited the staff.

“Welcome to your new home, Elizabeth,” Darcy said quietly in her ear. Suddenly she was not ready to let go of his arm. Everything was so grand and different from what she was used to. Darcy was the only constant, and she had come to feel that nothing bad could befall her with him standing at her side.

“Allow me to introduce your new mistress,” Darcy said to the staff.

As Elizabeth looked around, she saw nothing but pleasant faces. She was relieved to receive a friendly reception.

“Mr. Combes you met when he opened the door,” said Darcy, gesturing to the butler, “and this is the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds.”

Mrs. Reynolds curtsied. “Such a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” she said. “If you need anything, please let me know.”

Elizabeth smiled, suspecting that she would be in great need over the next few weeks as she learned about the estate.

“And now I shall show you to your chambers,” said Darcy. He waved away the offer of help from Mrs. Reynolds. He led her up the stairs and turned down a hallway.

“This hallway houses our suites,” he said. “The other bedrooms are elsewhere in the house. Once you are settled, I am certain that Mrs. Reynolds would be delighted to give you a tour.”

They walked to the end of the hallway and through a magnificent set of double doors. The room that they walked into was decorated in understated elegance, with sumptuous fabrics and muted colors. A grand fireplace stood at one end of the room.

“This is a sitting room for your own personal use,” said Darcy. “We shall decorate it in any way you like.”

He then led her through doors at the other end of the room.

“This is your bed chamber,” he said. The design from the sitting room continued in this room. The four-poster bed was hung with fabric that matched that of the curtains, and a fire was already built in the fireplace, giving the room an appropriately drowsy warmth.

Darcy pointed at a smaller door recessed in a wall.

“That door connects to a door in my bed chamber,” he said. “There are locks on both doors. You are welcome to leave yours locked, as I have no intention of disturbing you in here without your permission. Mine will always remain open to you.”

For a moment Darcy’s mind wandered to what would happen once that permission was granted, and he lost his train of thought. He shook his head and quickly regained his composure.

“Is there anything else that you need or desire? If not, perhaps you would like some time to adjust to your new surroundings.”

“I am overwhelmed,” said Elizabeth. “It may take me the remainder of my life just to learn where everything is.”

“Well, it is good that we have a lifetime, then,” said Darcy. He took her hand, kissed it, bowed, and left. Elizabeth was once again startled by her reaction to his touch. It had thrilled her when his lips touched the back of her hand. She had to be careful—very careful—to listen to her head in regards to Mr. Darcy. There could be no more thrilling at his touch until she understood him more and worked out what kind of man he truly was.


	11. Chapter 11

Time passed quickly, as it often does when one is learning new things. Before Elizabeth even realized it, two months had passed since she had come to live at Pemberley.

Bingley and Jane were wed, and Elizabeth had cried in sorrow over missing her favorite sister’s wedding. Jane wrote Elizabeth a long letter describing the ceremony, which was as simple as Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s had been, due to the constraints of mourning. She dedicated a full page to describing their mother’s ecstatic behavior in regards to the wedding. Apparently Darcy had some competition as Mrs. Bennet’s favorite son-in-law, although Jane did mention that her adoration of her daughters’ husbands seemed to be in proportion with the amount of money that each had. At reading this, Elizabeth smiled and rolled her eyes. Their mother would never change.

To compensate for not attending the wedding, Darcy had invited the Bingleys to spend a week at Pemberley with them.

“Why is time going so slowly?” Elizabeth asked Harriet Stewart, her lady’s maid, as her hair was being brushed. “I am so excited to see my sister, and it seems as if she will never arrive.”

“It always seems to be that way, does it not?” replied Miss Stewart. “Good things take so long to happen, but bad things seem to arrive in an instant. Take heart, ma’am. They will be here soon.”

“If only I could get the menu resolved,” said Elizabeth with a sigh.

“Is there a particular problem with the menu?” asked Miss Stewart curiously.

“I thought not, but every time I try to speak with Mr. Porter about it, I am left feeling like the most foolish person in the world. Why, just yesterday I told him that I would like to serve goose, and he argued with me for a quarter of an hour that it must be venison that was served! He seems to be upset with whatever I set the menu to be.”

Miss Stewart spoke gently, as she knew that her mistress was not yet used to running a house by herself. “He ought not speak to you like that. It is not proper, nor is it his place. The lady of the house determines what is served for dinners. Have you spoken with Mr. Combes about it?”

“I have, and I have reason to believe that he has spoken with Mr. Porter, but nothing has changed.”

“I hesitate to suggest this, ma’am,” said Miss Stewart, “but might it not be time to take this issue to Mr. Darcy?”

“I had hoped to deal with this without involving him, but perhaps you are right. I will consider speaking with him.”

Elizabeth felt suddenly tired of the topic, missing the easy conversation of her sisters. Perhaps that was why she asked her next question.

“Tell me, Stewart, have you a sweetheart?”

Miss Stewart flushed a bright red. “I would not say that I do, ma’am.”

Elizabeth smiled. “But your rosy cheeks tell a different tale,” she said. “Surely there is more to this story. Please, Stewart, it would bring me such great joy to hear of your happiness.”

“It is Thomas, my lady. The first footman.”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Thomas was tall and very handsome, with a head of wavy blond hair and a bright smile. She had not spoken with him to know his character, but if he was anywhere near as amiable as his countenance, Miss Stewart had chosen quite well indeed.

“Does he know of this admiration?” asked Elizabeth.

If possible, Miss Stewart flushed even more deeply. “He does not. Certainly, someone like him would have little interest in someone like me.”

“Someone like you! You are a lady’s maid at one of the grandest estates in the country. If anything, he should be honored to have someone as fine as you esteem him.”

“He has never so much as glanced in my direction.”

“Sometimes men need a bit of a push to see what is right in front of them,” said Elizabeth, thinking of Bingley.

“Mrs. Darcy, I beg you. Please do not bother yourself with this.”

Elizabeth just smiled. She was not about to make a promise that she knew she could not keep.

***

Elizabeth needed an ally in her plan. Naturally, she turned to Georgiana.

“Stewart and Thomas?” said Georgiana. “Oh, they should look so charming together!”

“Yes, they should, if Thomas had any idea of her feelings.”

“Oh, that is a dilemma indeed!” Georgiana was silent for a moment. “But what if two Darcy women were to come up with a scheme to encourage the two of them?”

“That is indeed was I was hoping you would say,” said Elizabeth. “Let us plan how we can make this happen.”

The two of them planned, laughed, and generally enjoyed each other’s company for most of the morning. By the time they were done, they had contrived of a plot that they hoped would bring Miss Stewart and Thomas together. They just had to wait for the right time to put it into action.

***

The afternoon was much less pleasant. Elizabeth spoke with the cook once more and received no more satisfactory an answer than she had the previous times they had spoken. Mr. Porter insisted that venison was the proper thing to serve at such a meal and would not be budged.

Elizabeth did not care so strongly for goose rather than venison, but she saw this as a test of her management skills. She was the mistress, and he was the cook. She was more than happy to listen to his opinions and to take them into account. However, outright insubordination was a different thing entirely. If she was going to be successful as the mistress of Pemberley, she had to learn how to deal with issues such as this. She resolved to speak with Darcy right away and get his opinion on how to deal with the situation.

She knocked on the door to his study and he tersely bade her enter. She sensed that he was in a sour mood, but there was little time to resolve this issue.

“I am having some difficulty with the menu for the Bingleys’ dinner,” she began. “I suggested goose, but Mr. Porter is insisting on venison—”

Darcy slammed shut the ledger he was reading. “I do not care what meat is served,” he said. “You are the mistress of this house. I depend on you to deal with issues as trivial as what will be served for dinner.”

Elizabeth turned on her heel and barely made it out of the room before angry tears began. He, Darcy, was the one who had told her that he would assist her in learning the management of Pemberley! For him to speak to her so dismissively! After everything she had done and everything she had learned, the first time she brought a problem to him, he had the gall to be upset! Well, if he wanted her to deal with the issue, deal with it she would. She once again called for Mr. Porter to speak with her.

Elizabeth sat regally in her chair when Mr. Porter entered the room.

“I have no interest in repeating the conversations that we have had already,” she said coolly. “I am the mistress of this house. You are a servant in this house. We will have goose served at the dinner, and that is final. If you ever again speak to me with the disrespect that you showed me earlier, you will no longer have a job. Have I made myself clear?”

She saw the defiance drain out of her face and knew that she had triumphed. “Yes, madam,” he muttered.

“I am glad we have come to an understanding, Mr. Porter. You are dismissed.”

As soon as the door to the study closed, Elizabeth began shaking like a leaf. It felt ridiculous to threaten a man’s livelihood over venison, but she could not allow him to dictate what would be served. She passionately hoped that Mr. Porter would share what happened with the other servants. She had no desire to repeat this situation with anyone else who hoped to test her.

***

Darcy raked his hand through his hair. There was currently quite a large bit less money in his safe than his ledger indicated. He and his steward had spent the morning trying to reconcile the amount, and Darcy was beginning to think that a thief was responsible. But how could someone access his safe? No one had the combination except him. Was it possible that he had left it open one night? If he had, then nearly anyone in the house could have taken it. The money was not so much the issue; he could deal with the loss of that. But the idea that he might be housing a thief? That was untenable.

He knew that he had been short with Elizabeth when she had come to him, but the issue that he was dealing with was substantially more important than what meat would be served.

At that moment, Darcy’s steward burst through the door.

“I have found the discrepancy!” he cried.

“What is it?” asked Darcy.

“Look, back here, two weeks ago, these two numbers were transposed, and so it looks like there should be more money than there actually is.”

“Did you calculate the ledger from then to see if the numbers reconcile?”

“I did, sir, and they do.”

Darcy breathed a sigh of relief and slumped down in his chair. He was not harboring a thief under his roof. This was the best possible outcome.

“Sit, Mr. Chase,” Darcy said. “Have a drink with me. I think that we both deserve one.”

“I would agree, Mr. Darcy.”

In his relief, Darcy forgot entirely about his exchange with Elizabeth.

***

Elizabeth waited for an apology from Darcy, but none was forthcoming. When she saw him for dinner that evening, he seemed much less angry, but he did not mention a word about what had happened earlier. This, she felt, was an important piece in figuring out who the real Mr. Darcy was. She resolved to never bring another problem to him if it could possibly be avoided. He might say that he was willing to help, but his actions proved that false.


	12. Chapter 12

Preparations for the Bingleys’ visit continued. Darcy was impressed with the fact that Elizabeth managed all of the planning without requiring any help from him. He was proud of how quickly she had learned to manage everything that needed to be done.

However, along with her competence, he felt a growing distance from her. Since they were married, he had believed, or at least hoped, that she was warming to him and to the potential for a real relationship with him. Now, however, she seemed to look past him rather than at him. When he spoke to her, she often responded with a polite smile rather than a genuine one. He could not determine the cause of this coldness, but it troubled him greatly.

Darcy considered asking Georgiana if she knew of the reason for Elizabeth’s behavior. Elizabeth and Georgiana were even fonder of one another than he had expected them to be, and that delighted him. However, he sometimes felt a twinge of jealousy that his sister had more of his wife’s confidence than he did. He tried to move past this, as he knew it was foolish and unproductive.

He decided not to ask Georgiana because he did not want to put her in the uncomfortable position of betraying Elizabeth’s confidences. He would continue attempting to get the truth out of Elizabeth. There was certainly no way their relationship could grow if they did not talk to one another.

Darcy was desperate for that growth in their relationship. It was painful for him to even see Elizabeth, he longed for her so much. He imagined her coming to him as a real wife to a real husband, letting him pull her close as he bent to touch his lips to hers, and then—_stop, man, you will drive yourself insane if you continue indulging in these dreams_.

But it was not so easy to stop. All it took was another glimpse of her and his imagination departed on another flight of fancy where she wanted him even a fraction as much as he wanted her. In order to make that happen, he had to uncover what was causing the disconnection between the two of them and repair it, and the sooner he managed that, the better.

***

Finally, after what seemed to be forever, it was the day of the Bingleys’ arrival. Elizabeth fussed about, checking minor details and confirming plans that had been in place for weeks. She was relieved that she would soon be reunited with Jane. Since the day of her confrontation with the cook, Elizabeth had not been able to speak honestly with Darcy. He had shown that she was unable to rely on him for help, and she certainly had no intention of being spoken to again like he had on that day.

Even in a manor as big as Pemberley, it is uncomfortable to share space with someone who you are trying to avoid. She knew that Darcy noticed; but if he noticed, was the duty to apologize not his? Elizabeth did not even share her thoughts with Georgiana. She did not want to put Georgiana in the uncomfortable position of being in the midst of the situation. Georgiana would probably feel obligated to defend her brother, so Elizabeth did not even mention it.

Elizabeth was bustling around the foyer, rearranging flowers in an arrangement which was already perfect, when she heard a noise outside. She ran to the front door in time to see the carriage pull up. She threw herself outside and broke into a run towards Jane, who was just descending the carriage.

“My dearest sister!” Elizabeth cried, pulling Jane into a tight embrace. “All of my congratulations on your marriage!” She turned to Bingley. “And congratulations to you, as well, brother!”

Bingley grinned. “Fortunately for me, I received some extremely good advice from a friend.”

“Ah, but you were the one who followed through on it!” said Elizabeth, returning his smile. “Please, come inside. Darcy will be delighted to see you.”

She took Jane’s hand, unwilling to be more than a pace away from the sister that she had so missed, and they walked inside. Bingley was familiar with Pemberley, so the grandeur did not affect him so much, but Jane looked around in awe. Elizabeth remembered the feeling of walking through those doors for the first time. This time, seeing Jane’s reaction, she could not help but feel pride. She was a part of Pemberley now, and it was a part of her.

“Bingley. And Mrs Bingley! Welcome to Pemberley,” called Darcy as he made his way down the staircase. “I trust your journey was uneventful?”

“Entirely uneventful, which means that it was quite boring,” responded Bingley. “We are relieved to be here.”

“Would you like to take a walk?” asked Elizabeth. “We have no plans until dinner, and Jane could see the grounds.”

The Bingleys agreed that a walk would be lovely. Jane took Mr. Bingley’s arm, and he pulled her close to his side as they went outside. It was clear that they were deeply in love.

Seeing the Bingleys’ affection for one another just reminded Elizabeth and Darcy about the lack of affection in their own marriage. Elizabeth chanced a glance at Darcy, but he was just staring off into the distance with a neutral look on his face. _Fine_, she thought._ If he does not care, then neither do I._

Elizabeth worked to ignore Darcy, but the front of indifference did not come as naturally to her as it did to him. Indeed, the fact that he was paying no attention to her pointedly ignoring him just angered her more. She walked faster to catch up with her sister.

“It is so very beautiful here,” Jane said to her. “You must feel so peaceful, Lizzy. I can imagine you out here every day, strolling about and reading a book.”

Elizabeth laughed. “I find that I have much less time for strolling and reading than I used to.”

“I can imagine,” said Jane. “This is quite an estate.”

“Finest I have ever seen,” said Bingley with a smile. “Eh, Darcy? Although I suppose that you are naturally partial.”

“To me it is just home,” said Darcy. “I cannot imagine not having Pemberley to return to. It is a constant.”

“Well, now you have another constant in your life,” said Bingley. “How is married life, Mrs. Darcy? He has not entirely put you off the entire enterprise, has he?”

Elizabeth had to refrain from telling Mr. Bingley how she actually felt. “I learn something new every day,” she said with a smile.

“Interesting,” muttered Darcy. “I feel like I know less with each passing day.”

“Aha, Darcy, I know what you mean! Every day is some glorious new thing to discover!” Bingley said.

Elizabeth knew that was not what Darcy had meant, but it was certainly not the time to discuss their marital issues.

The two couples continued on their walk, one close together and one farther apart than they had ever been.

***

The tension between Elizabeth and Darcy remained through dinner. From the looks that Jane was giving her, Elizabeth knew that her sister sensed that something was wrong; if Bingley was aware of the tension, he hid it well.

“This dinner is lovely,” said Jane. “And the goose is exceptional.”

And then Darcy remembered. He remembered Elizabeth speaking to him about goose and venison, and he remembered telling her that he had more important things to do than worry about a dinner menu. That was when her silences had begun. That must be what she was upset about!

Darcy looked at her across the table, trying to convey to her his apologies. He never should have been so short with her. He was ashamed to consider how this must have made Elizabeth feel. She was just going to him for advice as he had asked her to do, and he had dismissed her and made her feel small.

Elizabeth was unsure why Darcy was suddenly staring at her so intently. She felt that she was playing her part as well as could be expected. Was there something more that she was not doing, or that she was doing incorrectly? It made her nervous throughout the remainder of dinner, and as soon as Jane and Bingley were settled into their room for the evening, she found Darcy.

“Husband,” she said.

“Wife,” he replied, smiling at her. She tried not to let the smile infuriate her more.

“For what reason were you staring at me during dinner? I wish that you would just tell me what I am doing wrong outright, rather than expecting me to determine what it is on my own.”

Darcy was confused. Where was this idea coming from?

“I apologize,” he said, “if you believed that I was looking at you because I was displeased. It could not be farther from the truth. The person that I am upset with is myself.”

She stared at him pointedly and waited for him to continue.

“I know why you have been so quiet. I know that I was cross with you on the day you came to ask me about what meat to serve.”

She could not let this go unanswered. “At no point did I ask you what meat to serve,” she said, frustration in her voice. “I had intended to ask your opinion on what to do with a disrespectful servant, but you never gave me the opportunity.”

Darcy was instantly alert. “Disrespectful how, exactly?”

She shook her head. “Do not worry yourself about it. I dealt with it, which, I believe, is what you told me to do.”

Darcy was not a foolish man; now that he was aware of the new pieces of the story, he put them together readily. Elizabeth had been having a problem with the cook; she had come to ask Darcy for advice on what to do, and he had insulted her by telling her that he did not have time to help her with something so trivial. So Elizabeth, never one to let a challenge go, had dealt with the situation by herself. Darcy did not think that he could love her any more than he already did, but this example of her fire, of her unwillingness to be cowed, made his feelings toward her even stronger.

“Oh, my dear Elizabeth,” he said, taking her hand. She startled and began to pull her hand away, but then she seemed to change her mind and allowed her hand to stay in his. “I am so very sorry. I should not have spoken to you in that way, regardless of what else was going on. I only wish that you had felt comfortable enough to tell me how you were feeling.”

Elizabeth looked closely at him, trying to determine if he was telling the truth or if he was just trying to assuage her anger. She did not see any dishonesty in his eyes; rather, she saw what looked like contrition.

“I accept your apology,” she said carefully. “And I will try to work on telling you my concerns—although when the issue was you dismissing those very concerns, you cannot fault me for not trying again to talk to you about them.”

“And I apologize for that as well,” he said. “Is there anything else that you would like me to do? Are your issues with Mr. Porter resolved, or shall I speak with him? Or would you just prefer him to be replaced? His happiness means little to me, and yours means everything.”

“No, I believe that we have come to an understanding,” said Elizabeth. “I doubt that he will try to test me again.”

Based on the determination in her voice, Darcy could not blame Mr. Porter for that particular decision.

Later that night, in their separate rooms, both Darcy and Elizabeth slept more soundly than they had in many days. Elizabeth, although she was still on her guard, was pleased that Darcy finally realized what he had done. Darcy was just relieved that Elizabeth was speaking with him without scowling. It was not where he wished to be, but it was a fair shot better than it had been that morning.


	13. Chapter 13

Elizabeth was so delighted to have her sister at Pemberley, even for only a few days. Jane and Georgiana instantly liked one another, and it made Pemberley feel more like home to Elizabeth than it ever had before. Bingley and Darcy busied themselves with gentlemanly pursuits, leaving the ladies free to enjoy one another’s company.

“You seem so very happy,” said Elizabeth, with a smile. “I would expect nothing less.”

“It has been an absolute dream,” said Jane, returning her sister’s smile. “I could not be happier.”

“Oh,” sighed Georgiana, “that is what I wish for! It must be so wonderful to be wed to someone that you love with all your heart!”

_Yes_, thought Elizabeth. _It must be, but I would not know. _She wondered if it was possible that she would learn to love Mr. Darcy, or that he would learn to love her. It could happen, she supposed, but it was far from a certainty.

***

“You are in agony,” said Bingley as he and Darcy played a game of billiards.

Darcy gave him a sharp look. “What do you mean?” he said. “I am fine. Why should I not be fine?”

“The only person who does not know how deeply you love your wife is, well, your wife.”

Darcy considered denying it, but he knew that Bingley would see through that lie as well.

“It is difficult,” he admitted. “I am so close to her, and yet so far away.”

“I imagined that she would have warmed to you by now,” said Bingley.

“Did you? Have you met the lady in question?” said Darcy with a wry smile. “She is a far cry less agreeable than your own wife.” He did not need to add that Elizabeth’s fire was a large part of his attraction to her.

“I cannot imagine marriage to a Miss Bennet being disagreeable,” said Bingley, his eyes taking on a far-away look as he thought of his wife.

“Bingley. Even _you_ must admit that we have claimed the best of the Bennets,” said Darcy. “Could you imagine marriage to any of the younger sisters?”

Bingley looked alarmed at the idea. “You make a good point. Well, I cannot imagine marriage with Elizabeth Bennet as disagreeable. She is so lovely, and so witty!”

“Those things she is. What she is not is mine in any way other than the legal one,” Darcy said.

“Does she know how you feel?” asked Bingley.

“How could she not?” said Darcy. “The concessions I have made for her! The things that I have tolerated from her that I should never from anyone else.”

“But have you told her?”

“I feel like there is no need,” said Darcy. “My feelings are clear.”

“To you, but perhaps not to her,” said Bingley gently. “I think that you should tell her, in terms that cannot be mistaken, that you love her.”

The idea filled Darcy with panic. What would he do if she told him directly she did not love him? Even worse, what if she told him she could never love him? That was a possibility he could not bear. However, Bingley was looking at him so hopefully that Darcy could not deny his friend.

“I shall take your advice under consideration,” Darcy said as he lined up his next shot.

Bingley knew his friend well enough to know Darcy considered that the end of the conversation.

***

It amazed Elizabeth how fast the week with the Bingleys flew by, considering how slow the weeks preceding their arrival had seemed. She was happier than she had been at any other point since she and Darcy had married. Jane and Bingley brought life to Netherfield and joy to Elizabeth. She wished that they could stay forever.

Alas, such a thing could not be. After their week was up, the Bingleys prepared to return to Netherfield. Elizabeth could not hold back the tears when speaking with Jane.

“Jane, I shall miss you more than I can put into words,” she said, tears running down her face.

“Oh, Lizzy, I shall miss you too. But we will visit again soon, or perhaps you can visit us? It will not be long before we see one another again.”

“How do I do this, Jane?” Elizabeth said. “I did not plan on a marriage without love in it. I do not know how to be a wife. How do I proceed? You make it look so easy.”

“I think you are wrong to say that you are in a marriage without love,” Jane said gently. “Your husband obviously esteems you highly. Could that not be evidence of strong feelings towards you?”

“My husband is polite to me because he is well-raised,” said Elizabeth.

“I think you misunderstand him, Lizzy,” said Jane. “Give him another chance. Open your mind, and perhaps your heart, to him and see where it takes you.”

“It feels too dangerous to give him that sort of power over me.”

“One thing that I have learned, Lizzy: it is impossible to love without giving up a little bit of control.”

“Well then,” said Elizabeth with a grim smile. “That is a problem. Control is something neither of us are willing to cede.”

***

No one was pleased to see the Bingleys go, as the entire visit had been so pleasant. Darcy and Elizabeth were both nervous about returning to their normal life, as neither knew the state of their relationship. And Georgiana was left in the middle, knowing what would be possible if only the two of them would speak to one another honestly.


	14. Chapter 14

Life felt a little less bright after the Bingleys’ departure, so Elizabeth turned her mind to other pursuits in an effort to divert herself: namely, to creating a situation that would cast Miss Stewart and Thomas together. She and Georgiana began to put into action the plan that they had devised.

One morning, while in her sitting room, Elizabeth said, “I would like to see what these chairs would look like nearer the fireplace. See if you can find a footman who would be able to move them for me.”

Miss Stewart hurried off, and the plan had begun. Elizabeth and Georgiana had determined that Thomas was likely to be the easiest footman to find at that particular time of day. Elizabeth waited, hoping it would work.

After several minutes, Miss Stewart entered the room, followed by Thomas. Elizabeth had to work hard not to smile that things were going according to plan.

Elizabeth then proceeded to be very indecisive, having Thomas move furniture all about the room. Each time, she pretended she was not yet satisfied, and asked for Miss Stewart’s opinion. Finally, after this had gone on for some time and the room was in entirely the incorrect order, Georgiana sent her lady’s maid to Elizabeth to tell her that Georgiana had urgent need of her company.

“Now that I look at it again, I think I like the way the furniture was originally. Could you please move it back while I check on Miss Darcy? Stewart, you can show him where everything belongs.”

And with that, she left, smiling to herself. They would not be engaged by the time they were done, but at least they were in the same room for a while.

“Well?” said Georgiana, smiling. “How did it go?”

“I am sure Thomas is none too pleased with my indecision, but I left them together to put the room back as it was. If nothing else, that gives them time together and something to talk about.”

“Oh, I do hope it works. They would be such a darling couple!”

“We will just have to continue helping them along,” said Elizabeth with a smile.

***

Over the next several weeks, there were more opportunities for Miss Stewart and Thomas to spend time together. Elizabeth and Georgiana decided to take a trip to Lambton to visit the milliner. This was unusual, as they had access to the best milliners in London, but they relied on the fact that no one would question them. Miss Stewart came along because Elizabeth trusted her opinion, and Thomas came to carry packages and assist the ladies with the carriage.

Elizabeth was delighted to see Miss Stewart and Thomas conversing during the trip. She was laughing at some comment he made and he was smiling broadly at her. Elizabeth hoped that after a few more occasions of spending time together, things would begin to happen on their own.

***

One night, Miss Stewart seemed lost in her thoughts as she helped Elizabeth prepare for bed. She hummed softly and smiled rather more than usual.

“What a lovely mood you are in, Stewart!” said Elizabeth.

“Indeed, my lady.”

“May I ask what has brought you so much happiness?”

Miss Stewart blushed. “Do you remember what I confessed to you in regards to Thomas, the footman?”

“Yes, I recall something of that,” Elizabeth said, trying not to smile.

“Well, we have been talking lately, and it has been lovely. I think that he may even esteem me as highly as I do him!”

“Oh, Stewart, that is wonderful news!” said Elizabeth. “I knew he would not be able to resist you.”

“You are too kind,” said Miss Stewart, casting her eyes down.

“No, I just understand people,” Elizabeth said. She thought of her husband. “Well, most people, that is.”

Elizabeth and Miss Stewart continued to chat while Elizabeth’s bedtime preparations were finished. She drifted off to sleep that night pleased that someone, at least, was happy.

***

Much less intervention was required now that Thomas and Miss Stewart were talking. Elizabeth spied them speaking in front of the house, and Georgiana reported that she had come upon them in the hallway. They were standing just a bit too close to one another for it to be proper, and both took a surprised step back when they saw Georgiana. Miss Stewart nearly floated about the room, humming happy tunes and smiling to herself. Elizabeth and Georgiana were delighted their plan had been so successful.

If only Elizabeth’s own relationship was so successful. Darcy was acting very strangely when they were together, as if he wished to talk to her but then changing his mind. Why, once, he had come directly to her sitting room, only to discuss what sort of fruit tree should be planted in the garden. She knew there was more going on than he was saying, but she was unsure what it was. If she was doing something wrong, it would be unlike him not to inform her of it.

Did he want to revisit the subject of consummating the marriage? Elizabeth was still nowhere near ready, but he had been patient with her for months. Perhaps she had reached the limits of his goodwill. If that was the case, Elizabeth preferred that he continue to dance around the conversation, as it was not one she had any interest in having. Regardless, his nervousness led to her being on edge all the time as well.

What Darcy was trying, and failing, to do was to take Bingley’s advice and tell Elizabeth honestly how he felt about her. He could handle every situation with calm and aplomb—except this one. He still was not prepared for Elizabeth to tell him she did not share his feelings. It would cut him too deeply.

So they were both in a greater state of agitation than they had been at any point since they married, and they were no closer to understanding one another. Things might have gone on this way for some time, had Mr. Darcy not visited London.


	15. Chapter 15

Darcy was called away for a quick trip to London to manage some banking. Georgiana was well used to her brother’s travels, but this was the first time that he had left Elizabeth at Pemberley. She was worried that something might happen in his absence, but she had no intention of telling Darcy that. She put on a serene face, told him everything would be fine, and wished him well on his trip.

For the first two days, very little was different. Georgiana and Elizabeth took meals, read, embroidered, and plotted how to continue to put Miss Stewart in Thomas’s path. However, disaster struck the second night.

The ladies were in the study after dinner when Mr. Combes announced guests. Two well-dressed men followed him in to the study.

“My ladies, I present The Right Honorable Lord Stapleton and Mr. Jasper Colborne.”

The gentleman both bowed deeply.

“Mrs. Darcy, Miss Darcy, it is an honor to meet you,” said Mr. Colborne. He was the shorter of the two, with a head of thick red hair and bright blue eyes. He grinned at Elizabeth and Georgiana.

“It certainly is,” said Lord Stapleton, who was taller and fairer than his companion. “We had hoped to catch old Darcy at home. We are friends of his. We came through Cambridge at the same time.”

“It is very nice to meet you,” said Elizabeth. She was unsure what to say or do next. In her silence, Lord Stapleton spoke again.

“It was our intention to spend some days at Pemberley shooting,” he said. “It is a shame Darcy was not here to meet us. But in light of the fact that we have traveled such a long way, perhaps we could impose on you for just a day or two?”

Elizabeth looked at Georgiana. This all seemed very improper, but she did not want to turn them away if they actually were Darcy’s friends. She could just imagine the embarrassment that would cause him. Georgiana just raised her eyebrows, leaving the decision to Elizabeth.

“I am certain that we can accommodate you for two days,” Elizabeth said, hoping that the tremble she felt was not heard in her voice. “Have you eaten? We have just finished dinner, but I am happy to let the kitchen know if you would like.”

“That would be lovely,” said Mr. Colborne, with another bow.

“Mr. Combes will show you to the dining room and see that the kitchen is informed. Miss Darcy and I will be down to join you in just a moment.”

The men followed Mr. Combes out of the sitting room and Elizabeth turned to Georgiana in a panic.

“Should I have told them that they cannot stay?” she asked. “Are they friends of Darcy’s? Have you met them before?”

“I have not, nor have I heard my brother speak of them,” said Georgiana, “but certainly he has many friends whom I have not met.”

Elizabeth wrung her hands. “Oh, dear, I am afraid I did the wrong thing in letting them stay. It is not at all proper for them to be here without the master of the house present. But I have told them that they can stay—curse my mouth, always speaking without thinking first!”

“Elizabeth,” said Georgiana gently, “you had to make a quick decision, and you did. No one can fault you for that. This is really quite an unusual situation.”

Elizabeth laughed humorlessly. “Oh, I can be faulted, and we both know by whom.”

Georgiana shook her head. “Fitzwilliam will only care that you did your best.”

_No_, thought Elizabeth. _He only cares that _you_ do your best, Georgiana. Despite what he might say, from me, he expects perfection._

_***_

Elizabeth called for two guest rooms to be made up and she and Georgiana joined their guests at the dinner table.

“Mrs. Darcy, it is such a pleasure to finally meet you,” said Lord Stapleton. “We have heard that Darcy married a mysterious woman that he met in Hertfordshire, but aside from that no one seemed to know anything about you for certain.”

“There is little to know, sir,” said Elizabeth, on her guard. “I grew up at my father’s estate of Longbourn. I met Darcy at an assembly, and saw him again when he was a guest of one of our neighbors, Mr. Bingley of Netherfield.”

“And Darcy was instantly besotted!” said Mr. Colborne. “How could he have not been? You are the very picture of beauty, Mrs. Darcy.”

“Sir, you are too kind,” Elizabeth said, more sharply than she had intended. She would hear no flattery from these two.

“That is substantially less interesting than the stories that we have heard around London,” said Lord Stapleton, watching Elizabeth’s face closely in hopes that he was making her uncomfortable. “We had rather expected an Egyptian princess, after everything we heard.”

At this, the men laughed heartily. Elizabeth blushed. She desperately wanted to know what the rumors were, but she was not going to give the men the satisfaction of asking about them.

Georgiana saw that the situation was getting worse and worse, and decided to act.

“Dear sister, I am suddenly taken with such a headache,” said Georgiana. “Gentleman, I apologize, but may I steal Mrs. Darcy from you to help me to my room? She knows what soothes my headaches.”

“By all means,” said Lord Stapleton, waving his hand. “We will just be here, drinking all of Darcy’s wine.”

Their laughter followed Elizabeth and Georgiana as they left the dining room.

“What boorish men!” said Georgiana. “I cannot believe that Fitzwilliam is friends with them.”

“Neither can I,” said Elizabeth grimly. “Perhaps you should sleep in my room tonight. I will send Stewart to post a footman outside our door. The men will not know he is there unless they venture into our private hallway, but you and I will sleep much more soundly.”

Georgiana smiled. “Is this just another plot to get Stewart and Thomas together?” she whispered.

“Merely an advantageous concurrence,” said Elizabeth. “Tonight, I fear we have greater things to worry about than Stewart and Thomas’s courtship.”

Once Georgiana was safely settled in her room, Elizabeth headed back downstairs to check on the men and to ensure that they had not done any lasting harm. She was nearly to the staircase when she heard the men talking in the main hall. She stopped for a moment and listened.

“She is quite something, Darcy's little country bride, is she not?"

"She certainly is. There must be something exceptional about her, for Darcy to be interested."

"Perhaps he tested out the wares before the marriage and found them to his liking."

Elizabeth felt sick listening to them talk about her in such a way. She did not care about their opinion, but at the same time it was offensive to hear two strangers discuss her so callously.

The men continued talking.

"That sister of Darcy's, though, she is a sweet little thing."

"A sweet little thing who is worth 30,000 pounds! That makes her all the sweeter."

"I wonder if she can be won over."

"Well, I shall find out tomorrow."

"You shall? I think not. If anyone is winning her over, it shall be me."

"Tomorrow we will find out which she prefers. Do you think it possible to get some time with her away from Darcy's wife?"

"I think that we can think up an idea that would get her out of our way so that Miss Georgiana Darcy will have some time to get to know us better."

Elizabeth had been shocked at hearing them talk about her, but hearing their crude talk about Georgiana prompted her to action. She took a deep breath and was about to make her way down the stairs when she heard a familiar voice.

“I am unsure how you have gained entrance to Pemberley, but you will not be staying,” said Darcy, his voice nearly a growl from anger.

Elizabeth stayed frozen in her place, waiting to see what would happen. She had a fine view of the men across the foyer, and if any of them had looked up, they might have seen her as well.

“Darcy, old chap, how tremendous to see you after all!” called Lord Stapleton. “We were saddened to think we might miss you.”

“I rather think that you were not,” Darcy said, the anger still simmering in his voice. “Have you been waiting for the opportunity of my leaving to maneuver your way into my house?”

“Our only intention was to partake of your shooting,” said Mr. Colborne. “I assure you, we meant no offense.”

“The only way that you could avoid offending me is by making certain that I neither see your faces nor hear your names ever again,” said Darcy. “I may not have your extensive experience with brawling, but I assure you that I can more than hold my own.”

Mr. Colborne threw up his hands. “There is no need for that,” he said. “Let us collect our things and we will be on our way.”

“And let you spend one more minute in this house? I think not,” said Darcy. “There is a carriage waiting to take you to Lambton for the night. I will send your things there, and afterward that, I expect you to never again come within twenty miles of Pemberley, my wife, or my sister.”

Lord Stapleton snickered. “Wickham was right about you,” he said. “He always claimed that you were as dull as you were wealthy.”

Darcy’s voice was almost too soft for Elizabeth to hear it, but there was a deadly edge to it. “Do not speak of George Wickham in my house. Are you leaving on your own two feet, or must I forcibly remove you?”

“Calm, man, calm,” said Stapleton. “Now that you are here, our fun is ruined. We have no desire to trespass on your hospitality any further.”

The men strolled towards the door. Elizabeth could see that Darcy’s hands were balled into fists and she could tell, even from a distance, that his jaw was clenched. However, he let the men quit the house without any further confrontation. He followed them out to ensure that they left immediately.

Elizabeth lost strength in her legs and leaned against the wall to keep from falling. She had been sure that a fight was about to break out. Never in her life had she heard Darcy speak with such contempt and anger. She wondered what the men had done to deserve it. And how did the men know Mr. Wickham? The Mr. Wickham that Lord Stapleton spoke of sounded far different from what Elizabeth knew of him. Her mind was so full of questions that she could not even think what she would ask Darcy first.

Darcy came storming back in again, and Elizabeth did not even get the chance to speak.

“How could you allow men you do not know into my house?” he said as he climbed the stairs, the undercurrent of anger still very much present in his voice.

Elizabeth paled. “They said they were friends of yours,” she said in a small voice. “I did not want to be rude.”

“And they knew that!” said Darcy. “They waited until I was gone, with the idea that my wife was some silly little thing that would let them through the doors of Pemberley. And that is what they found. You played your role just perfectly. Opening the door, giving them access to my sister—_my sister_, Elizabeth. Perhaps you do not care for her well-being but I certainly do.”

Elizabeth finally found her voice. “How dare you speak to me in such a way?” she said, the anger in her voice rising to meet his own. “As mistress of this house, I was obliged to make a quick decision to keep you from embarrassment, and it was the wrong one. However, I would never put Georgiana at risk; at this very moment, she is locked in my room and guarded by a footman.”

“So you knew that these men were dangerous enough that you did not want Georgiana to sleep unprotected, yet you still let them in?”

“I did not know what sort of men they were! They claimed to be friends of yours from Cambridge. I did not want to insult friends of yours by denying them a room for the night.”

“But they are not my friends, Elizabeth. Rather, they are the friends of the greatest scoundrel that I have the misfortune to know.”

“You expect me to know these things, yet you tell me nothing! You still have not spoken of what happened between you and Mr. Wickham. I know that you denied him his living; what reason have you to speak of him with such harsh words?”

Darcy laughed humorlessly. “Denied him his living? Is that what he has told you? And you believed him. Of course you did.”

“Yes, I did!” snapped Elizabeth. “His is the only account to which I have been privy. You cannot expect me to know things that you refuse to tell me. Even you must see the error in that.”

“Even I?” said Darcy. “Yes, you are correct. It is so obvious that even a simpleton such as I should see it.”

“I did not say that you were a simpleton. You are, rather, the most difficult and stubborn man that I have ever known.”

“Am I?” said Darcy quietly, the pain obvious in his voice. “This marriage must be very difficult for you, then.”

“I remind you, sir, that this was not my idea,” said Elizabeth.

Darcy looked at her for a moment. “No, it was mine,” he said. “I cannot imagine what I was thinking.”

They looked at each other for a moment, daring the other to continue the argument. Finally, Darcy spoke. “It is late, and I am fatigued from my journey,” he said. “I am retiring to my chambers.”

And without another look, he turned and walked away from Elizabeth.


	16. Chapter 16

Elizabeth returned to her rooms, playing their argument over in her mind. She had spoken more harshly than she had intended, but she could hardly stand by and allow Darcy to insinuate that she was a foolish woman who intentionally endangered Georgiana.

Georgiana! Elizabeth had quite forgotten about her. She dismissed Thomas as she came to her room and let herself in.

“What on earth was all that yelling?” asked Georgiana.

“Lord Stapleton and Mr. Colborne are not welcome at Pemberley,” said Elizabeth. “Your brother was not at all pleased to discover them here. Apparently, they are friends of Mr. Wickham’s rather than of Darcy’s.”

At the mention of Mr. Wickham’s name, Georgiana paled. “Have they left?” she whispered.

“They have, and there is no reason that you cannot return to your rooms for the night.”

“Of course,” Georgiana murmured. She left Elizabeth’s room quickly, looking worried.

Would Elizabeth ever unravel all the secrets that surrounded her? The very thought of it exhausted her. She needed sleep. The following morning she could begin to put together what was going on at Pemberley.

***

Elizabeth awoke feeling no more refreshed, but with an idea of what she needed to do. She and Darcy were married, and there was no undoing that. What she needed to do was to make the best of it. She loved Pemberley, and she loved Georgiana. She could have a very pleasant life there with one exception—and what an exception it was.

She rose and called Miss Stewart to bring her breakfast and tend to her toilette. After she had eaten and dressed, she took a deep breath and went to do what needed to be done.

Elizabeth walked to Darcy’s study and knocked on the door. He called for her to enter and she braced herself for what was about to happen. She refused to look weak in front of him. She stepped through the door.

“I have an arrangement to suggest that I hope will be satisfactory to both of us,” she said, by way of greeting. Darcy looked confused, but nodded for her to continue.

“It is clear that this marriage has not been successful for either of us,” she said. “I am a constant disappointment to you, and I know you must regret marrying me. However, we are bound together. Here is my suggestion: I consent to consummation of the marriage in order to provide you with an heir. This is my responsibility, and I will uphold the vows that I made.”

Darcy began to interrupt, but Elizabeth held up her hand.

“Let me finish. I know I am not the sort of lady that you, or anyone else, imagined as your wife. So I propose that you find a more acceptable woman. Take a mistress. I will not stand in your way. Bring her here, if you would like, and we shall live like the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire with their Bess. It does not matter to me how you do it, or with whom. It is not an ideal solution; certainly, it is not what I had hoped for from our marriage. But, considering the circumstances, I believe it is the closest we can get to happiness.”

He stared at her, stunned. How could she possibly imagine that was what he wanted? Their fight the previous night had been harsh, but he had imagined that they would talk about it sensibly once both of them had calmed down. He was willing to admit that he spoke severely, and hoped that she would do the same. Clearly that was not to be.

“Say something,” Elizabeth said in a frustrated voice.

“Elizabeth, I do not feel that our disagreement last night merits the solution that you are proposing,” he said. “I want you for my wife. I spoke to you much more harshly than I should have last night. I was consumed with the idea of what might have happened had I not arrived when I did. You did not deserve the words that I used last night. Please, let us put this behind us.”

“But this is not the first time something like this has happened, Darcy,” she said. “We argue, and then you apologize, until the next time. It just keeps happening. We are clearly not suited for one another.”

“I will not have a wife purely for the procreation of children,” Darcy said. “That was not my intention in marrying you.”

“Well,” she replied, “that is what I am offering, so it may be that you will. I will give you some time to consider it. I think you will realize that this is the best solution for both of us.”

With a swish of her skirts, she left his study.

Darcy stared at the door for several minutes, willing her to come back and say that she had reconsidered. How many times now had he damaged their relationship by hurting her with his words? Would he ever be able to show her the depth of his love? He was beginning to wonder if he was even capable of love. If he was in love with her, how could he continue to make her feel this way?

He dropped his head into his hands at the thought that she had given him permission to take a mistress, as if he would be so cavalier with his marriage vows. As if there was any woman on earth whom he could love a fraction as much as the woman he had made his wife!

He thought back to the calm way she had presented the idea to him. It seemed as if it caused her no grief at all to consider him being unfaithful to her—she had even gone so far as to suggest that he bring his lover to Pemberley while Elizabeth pretended not to notice! His stomach roiled at the thought of it. How could she imagine this was a situation he would agree to?

Elizabeth was right about one thing. Darcy had no intention of ever forcing her to do anything she did not want to do. If he could not change her mind, they would live like strangers in their house, with only awkward meetings where they tried to create a son. He could not imagine the pain of that life. But how could he win her over? And how could he ensure that he did not continue to sabotage his relationship with her?


	17. Chapter 17

Elizabeth was shocked at the calm demeanor she had been able to display in Darcy’s study. She was, in actuality, shaken to her core. She could see that her words hurt him, but she did not understand why. Clearly, she was not the wife he had hoped her to be, but she had offered him the best possible solution to that fact. It was high time that both of them understood that their marriage would be a loveless one. Perhaps, with work, they could aim for respect instead.

She truly did not understand what Darcy’s goal was. He had married her to save her from a bad situation, and she understood what a noble, selfless decision that had been. He had essentially traded his chance at a marriage to someone he truly loved for her. How could the man who did that be the same one who lashed out at every sign of difficulty?

Perhaps he had expected a meeker, more mindlessly obedient wife. Elizabeth snorted. If that had been his intention, he had chosen poorly indeed. She wanted to be a good wife, but she would not allow him to speak to her however he wanted in the process. She would not compromise her character to be the wife he wanted.

She had been wandering the halls as these thoughts went through her head. She did not even realize that she was near Georgiana’s suites until Georgiana opened the door and pulled her inside.

“Look!” Georgiana said, pointing out her window.

Miss Stewart and Thomas were standing outside, speaking to one another. They stood very near one another and Elizabeth could tell by the smile on Miss Stewart’s face that the conversation was very pleasant indeed. They spoke for several minutes, and then Thomas brought Miss Stewart’s hand to his lips and placed a lingering kiss on it.

Elizabeth and Georgiana looked at each other delightedly. Elizabeth was glad to see a relationship that was working well, as a contrast to the problems in her own. It was a relief to know that love still existed in some places in Pemberley.

“Do you think we shall hear an announcement soon?” said Georgiana with a smile.

“Oh, I do hope so,” said Elizabeth. “Stewart so deserves happiness.”

_Would that I could have happiness like that_, she thought. But she could see no way that was possible, considering her current situation.

***

Elizabeth looked forward to that evening, when she could chat with Miss Stewart as she got ready for bed. She was hoping to find out a bit more about what was happening between Miss Stewart and Thomas.

Miss Stewart, however, seemed much less happy than she had been earlier in the day. In fact, every action belied the fact that she was quite upset. She went through her routine distantly, which was a contrast to her normal gregarious nature.

“Stewart, is something the matter?” asked Elizabeth.

“It is nothing, ma’am. I do not wish to trouble you with it.”

“Please do tell me,” said Elizabeth gently. “If it is bothering you so much, please let me share the burden.”

A tear ran down Miss Stewart’s cheek and she quickly brushed it away as if she did not want Elizabeth to see. “I feel so foolish, acting this way,” she said. “I did not suspect that it would be this difficult.”

Elizabeth nodded but remained silent, hoping to encourage Miss Stewart to continue.

“Thomas and I have been spending time together, and it has been lovely,” said Miss Stewart. “I truly believed that we had an understanding about where our relationship was going. To be honest, Mrs. Darcy, I am quite in love with him.”

Elizabeth smiled to hear this and looked at Miss Stewart to continue.

“But today, a girl that I have never seen before came from the village. She and Thomas seemed to know each other well. They spoke for several minutes and then he made an excuse to Mr. Combes to leave for an hour or two and they rushed off together. He did not know that I was witnessing what happened. Is there any explanation for this other than the one my mind is supplying me?”

“Well, certainly, there could be,” said Elizabeth. “Have you spoken with him about it?”

“I have not,” said Miss Stewart. “What am I to ask? ‘Are you romancing a village girl at the same time you are romancing me?’ I cannot imagine.”

“I can think of any number of innocent reasons for the scene that you witnessed. Do not assume the worst, dear Stewart. Do not be angry with him until you have spoken to him.”

“I will try,” said Miss Stewart, sounding unconvinced, “but I do not have high hopes.”

Elizabeth fell asleep that night desperately hoping that Miss Stewart was incorrect about Thomas’s motivation. She hoped that Miss Stewart, at least, could have some happiness in her life.

***

Miss Stewart continued to be noticeably quiet for the next few days. Elizabeth did not question her, instead waiting for Miss Stewart to speak of what was troubling her. Elizabeth did suspect that the conversation between Thomas and Miss Stewart still had not happened. Finally, almost a week after they had first discussed it, Miss Stewart came into Elizabeth’s rooms with a broad smile on her face.

“I did it,” she said. “I finally spoke to Thomas.”

“And it looks as if the conversation went well,” said Elizabeth. “Will you tell me about it?”

“The girl who came to get him was a friend of his sister’s,” said Miss Stewart. “There was a man in the village who was questioning his sister’s honor, and speaking in a very derogatory way about her. His sister was upset, but did not wish to bother him, so her friend came to him directly. His trip to the village was, he told me, to “sort out” the issue with the other man. I do not know in what way he did, but an agreement was reached and the man apologized to both Thomas and his sister.”

“So he rushed off simply to defend his sister’s honor?”

“That is the reason. Oh, I am so ashamed when I think of the assumptions that I made!”

“It does not do to make assumptions,” Elizabeth agreed. “It is always better to talk about things than to let them poison a relationship with misunderstandings.”

The women sat for a few moments in pleasant silence as Miss Stewart brushed Elizabeth’s hair. Elizabeth thought of how difficult it was for two people to understand one another, and how relationships, like gardens, needed hard work and close tending if they were to flourish. She was pleased with the resolution of Miss Stewart’s problem, and the role she had played in that resolution.

It was not until much later, as she was lying in bed, that Elizabeth realized that she had treated her own relationship with much less care than she had Miss Stewart’s and Thomas’s. She was quick to judge Darcy and slow to forgive. This was not to say that Darcy was without his faults, but she was certainly not blameless in the situation between the two of them. What if their most recent fight had been based on a misunderstanding? She suspected that something had happened to Georgiana that she did not know about. Could that explain the harshness of Darcy’s reaction? She knew that he would do anything for his sister; certainly Elizabeth would do no less for her, now that she knew Georgiana as her own sister. _Perhaps_, Elizabeth thought, _I should take my own advice and not judge a situation before I have all the information._

It certainly could not make the situation any worse than it already was. Elizabeth drifted off to sleep resolving to be more open-minded when it came to dealing with her husband.


	18. Chapter 18

The following morning, Elizabeth was determined to change her attitude towards Darcy. Instead of taking breakfast in her room as she usually did, she dressed and met him at the table for breakfast.

“Good morning,” Darcy said tentatively, as if afraid that Elizabeth would find fault with that statement as well.

She smiled warmly. “Good morning. What plans have you for the day?”

He was startled by her interest. These were more consecutive words than she had spoken to him in quite some time. It took him a moment to answer.

“Mr. Chase and I have some business to attend to this morning, but my afternoon is unscheduled.”

“Perhaps we can take a ride in the curricle? I still feel that I have not seen much of the countryside that is outside Pemberley’s borders. It looks to be a fair day.”

Darcy took a moment to look at her. Could this be some sort of new test she had come up with? If it was, he had no idea of the purpose, nor did he know what the correct answer was. On the chance that she was being authentic, he said, “That would be a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.”

“It is decided, then,” said Elizabeth with a smile. “Do you think that Georgiana will be too upset if we do not invite her to go?”

“She has been out in the curricle many times; I daresay she will not be upset to stay at home.”

“We have a plan, then,” she said.

The two of them sat in silence for the remainder of their breakfast, but it felt much different from the cold silence that had existed between them. Occasionally Elizabeth would catch Darcy’s eye and give him a small smile. He could not help but smile back at her. He did not know what had caused this shift in her attitude, but he was utterly grateful for it.

***

Elizabeth dressed carefully for their afternoon trip. She and Miss Stewart looked at most of her dresses before deciding on a cream-colored walking dress with a beautiful blue spencer. She could not remember dressing with such care at any point since she had come to Pemberley. Now that she had decided to be sympathetic towards Darcy rather than confrontational, his opinion of her seemed to matter much more. Would he like the dress? Could they get through an entire ride without arguing? She was unsure about the answer to either of those questions, but she was determined to be as agreeable as she could. If he needled her, however, she would not be able to hold her tongue. She hoped that he appreciated the thaw in their relationship and that he would be on his best behavior, as well.

For his part, Darcy had been quite useless during his meeting with his steward. His mind kept wandering to Elizabeth. Not only had she been pleasant to him, she had actually suggested that they spend time together! He still wondered if Elizabeth was laying a trap for him. Could she have something she wanted to say that required a captive audience? He certainly hoped that was not the case. He did not think he could have another conversation like their previous one.

Darcy took lunch in his office and Elizabeth in her suite, so they did not see each other again until it was time for the ride. It was hard to say which of them was more nervous as they prepared for the afternoon. Certainly, both of them were in a state of agitation, hoping the afternoon would be pleasant.

They met in the main hall. Darcy bowed, and said, “You look lovely.”

Elizabeth felt her cheeks color at the compliment. “Thank you for making time for me today,” she said.

Darcy resisted the urge to tell her that he would do quite anything that she asked. Instead, he reached out to take her hand. She willingly let him and was surprised to feel that once-familiar spark between them again. She glanced at his face and caught his eye, and they just looked at each other for a moment, each trying to take the measure of the other.

“Come,” said Darcy, leading her outside to where the curricle was hitched and ready to go. He had ensured that a soft blanket be placed inside, in case she were to take a chill during the ride. He helped her climb into the carriage, and once she was seated he finally released her hand.

Elizabeth was hit with a surprising sense of loss. After everything that they had been through, it had seemed so natural—so right—for her hand to be in his. She watched as he climbed in next to her. His bearing was noble as ever, but there was an undercurrent of excitement about him on that day. She could see that he was as nervous as she about their excursion.

He tucked the blanket around her, taking care not to touch her in any way that would make her uncomfortable. Once they were settled in, he started the horses off at a slow pace. The curricle was certainly capable of much faster speeds, but he saw no reason to rush their ride.

They sat in amiable silence while they rode down the lane that led away from Pemberley. Elizabeth was, as always, awed at how beautiful the house and grounds were. As the horses picked up speed, she felt the wind chill her, and she was grateful that Darcy had thought to bring her a blanket.

“Where are we headed?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“I have no particular plans,” he responded. “Please let me know if you see something that interests you, and we can go in that direction.”

She smiled and agreed that she would. Their silence continued for a few more minutes as they enjoyed the air and the calm between the two of them. Elizabeth was relieved that they were getting along so well. Perhaps that is why she did what she did next—although later, she still was not certain what prompted her to do it. She placed her hand in the crook of his arm and moved closer to him on the bench.

Darcy was instantly aware of her touch; the effect was immediate and intense. It was as if his skin burned everywhere that she touched him, even through their layers of clothing. All he could think about was how close they were, and how it was she who had prompted that contact. He could hardly continue to direct the horses, he was so distracted.

They came upon a lovely glen with a path leading up a hill to a large tree.

“Oh, what a peaceful scene!” said Elizabeth.

Darcy pulled the curricle over at a gate and jumped out to secure the horses. “Let us walk it, then,” he said.

Elizabeth smiled. There were few things that she enjoyed more than a walk on a lovely day, and she had not made the time for one lately. Darcy extended his hand to help her out of the carriage. Once her feet were on the ground, she kept ahold of his hand. She was to hear no complaints from Darcy, who was shocked and nearly overwhelmed at the direction their day had taken.

They began climbing the hill at an unhurried pace.

“This reminds me of a place near Longbourn,” she said. “There was rarely anyone else near it, so I would be alone with my book, surrounded by wildflowers and blue sky. It was a respite from the noise and tumult of my home.”

“I, too, appreciate the power of a solitary walk,” said Darcy. “Often, my obligations keep me from indulging, but whenever I do, I find that it clears my mind more than nearly anything else.”

“It is true,” she agreed, “but there is also something to be said for a walk with someone else who is agreeable.”

He smiled at her in response, a genuine and somewhat earnest smile. She could not help but return the smile with one of her own. She had never imagined this afternoon would be so enjoyable, but she was pleasantly surprised by the time that they were spending together.

They crested the hill near the tree and Elizabeth gasped at the beauty of the view. All around was untouched green, punctuated with colorful dots of wildflowers. A breeze picked up and moved through the grass like a wave. Elizabeth’s curls were blown into her face. Darcy gently reached up, brushed her hair away from her eyes, and tucked the wayward locks behind her ear. She was conscious of how very close the two of them were, and she could hardly breathe. She found that she did not mind the closeness whatsoever; her stomach fluttered at the idea of being this close to him on a regular basis.

Darcy took both her hands and looked into her eyes. “Mrs. Darcy, I do not wish to be presumptuous, but are you available to dine with me this evening?”

She saw his game and joined in. “But sir,” she protested, “I am a married woman. It would be quite improper.”

“Your husband is a fortunate man,” he said, raising her hand to his lips and placing a lingering kiss on it. “I hope he is aware of the prize he possesses.”

“I rather think he is,” Elizabeth whispered faintly, still staring into his eyes. It seemed so strange to be talking with him, to be flirting with him. Their relationship had been so contentious lately that she had never imagined this was a place that they would find themselves.

“I would be honored to join you for dinner, sir.”

“Let us not linger here too long, then,” he said, and led her back down the hill. He walked confidently, and, as she was a step behind him, she had a chance to really study him without his knowing. He kept a tight but gentle grip on her hand. She suddenly felt both protected and entirely able to be herself, which were emotions that did not often go together for her. Certainly, this trip was taking a much different direction than she expected.

The ride back to Pemberley was just as pleasant as the ride out had been. Elizabeth resumed her position close to Darcy, with her hand in the crook of his arm. He occasionally glanced over at her and was rewarded with a smile. He was still shocked and a bit concerned about her change of heart, but the more time they spent together, the more he began to believe it was genuine. Was it possible they had a chance at a real relationship, after all? He was not yet sure, but he was filled with more hope than at any other point in their relationship. He desperately hoped that the peace between them would continue, and have the opportunity to bloom into something even greater.


	19. Chapter 19

Not long after they returned from their ride, Georgiana knocked on Elizabeth’s door. Elizabeth called for her to enter, and was amused by the hopeful smile on her sister-in-law’s face.

“How was your ride?” Georgiana asked.

“Quite lovely, actually,” Elizabeth said with a small smile. “We very much enjoyed one another’s company.”

Georgiana was much too well-raised to squeal in delight, but she did have to stifle the urge to do so.

“Nothing could make me happier to hear,” she said.

“We are to have dinner tonight,” said Elizabeth. “Well, we always have dinner. But I believe that tonight will be special. Would you help me choose a dress?”

“I would be delighted!” said Georgiana. “It is very convenient that I had planned to take dinner in my room tonight.”

“You need not miss dinner!” said Elizabeth. “That was not my intention in telling you.”

“There is no possible way that you could convince me to eat in the dining room tonight,” said Georgiana. “Not with such a very important meeting taking place.”

Elizabeth smiled and was once again grateful for Georgiana’s tact and intuition.

“Let us look at my dresses, then,” she said, and they spent a lovely hour trying on different dresses and laughing. Elizabeth thought about how it had already been a perfect day, and it was not even time for dinner yet. She hoped that her luck would hold throughout the meal.

***

Darcy’s time prior to dinner was much less peaceful, and involved quite a bit more pacing. He did not know what brought about Elizabeth’s change of opinion. After their drive, he was certain that she was not trying to trap him into anything. There had been no artifice on her face during their walk. She had been legitimately happy, which had made him happy as well.

But now, he knew, was a risky time for him. If he tried to advance their relationship too quickly, she might startle and withdraw. Darcy had come too far to go back to her disliking him. He thought back to the feeling of her delicate hand in his, of her leg touching his as they sat in the curricle. Every inch of him had been on fire to be so near to her. When he had raised her hand to his lips, it was all he could do to refrain from kissing her sweet mouth. He had to calm himself. Things were going well between the two of them, and it would not do to spook her by moving faster than she wanted.

Darcy dressed mindlessly for dinner, grateful for the fact that his valet was there to handle the details. Once he was finally properly dressed, he had the idea to escort Elizabeth to the dining room. He walked out of his study and down the hall to her sitting room. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

Elizabeth looked up from her embroidery. She had dressed early in anticipation and then taken up her needlework to pass the time until dinner. It was still several minutes before it would be time to descend, so she was surprised to hear the knock. She called for the person to enter.

Darcy stepped in and took in the picture of Elizabeth sitting with her embroidery. She was dressed in a dinner gown with a striking pink overlay on a white dress. He was momentarily distracted by the cut of her neckline, which was a bit lower than the dinner dresses she typically wore. It was clear that she had dressed to her best advantage, and Darcy thought that she had been overwhelmingly successful in doing so.

“My lady,” he said, with a formal bow. “May I escort you to dinner?”

She smiled at him. “Of course,” she said. He offered her his arm and then there she was again, pressed up against his side. Darcy had to remind himself to breathe. He escorted her downstairs to the dining room, where he had arranged for a surprise.

The large dining room table had been removed and replaced with a much smaller table with two chairs. She smiled at him as she realized that he had arranged for their dinner to be more intimate, in a way that was difficult with the room-dominating dining room table. He saw her comfortably seated and then took the other chair.

“This is lovely,” she said.

“I wanted to have the chance to speak with you,” he said. “There is so much that I need to say.”

She noticed that all of the servants had stepped out of the room, and realized that he must have arranged for them to have complete privacy.

“I fear that I have not been clear or honest with you up to this point,” Darcy said, his eyes on hers. “I did not ask you to marry me simply to help you out of a difficult situation.”

Her brow knitted. “What do you mean?”

“I took advantage of the situation in order to make you mine. I wanted nothing more than to take you as my wife. Obviously, the circumstances were far from ideal, but I was obliged to act quickly to prevent losing you forever.”

“Could you not have just told me that?”

“There was no time. Before your father’s death, if I had proposed marriage to you, how would you have reacted?”

She gave him a small smile. They both knew how that situation would have ended.

“And after your father’s death, I ran the risk of losing you to a butcher. So I made my decision and made an offer for you. And all this time, the only thing that I have wanted to tell you is that I love you. I have loved you ever since that morning you walked into Netherfield, searching for your sister.”

Elizabeth’s eyes went wide and she sat straight up in shock. _So much for not startling her_, thought Darcy.

“I do not know what to say, sir,” she said.

“I did not tell you for fear that you might feel compelled to return the sentiment,” he said. “If we get to that point, I want to know that you mean every word you say. But I do feel that you deserve to know.”

“But all those times you have been unpleasant to me over the past few months!” she said.

“Elizabeth, I am not proud of the way that I have spoken to you. I am difficult. I lose my temper sometimes. All I can tell you is that I want to be a better man for you, and that I am working to be so.”

Her eyes filled with tears for a moment. She could tell that he was being entirely honest in what he was telling her. She thought of how lovely their day had been, how she had felt excited and protected, and, well, _right_ for the first time in as long as she could remember. And she thought about what it would be like to live her life like that.

“I cannot say yet that I love you,” she said slowly. “However, I am now ready to be your wife in every way.”

Of all the things she might have said, this was not what he expected.

“I have no desire to take advantage of you,” he said.

“Nor would you be,” she said. “You have been more than patient. I know you will not hurt me. I am prepared to consummate our marriage.”

“But perhaps I am not,” he murmured.

Elizabeth looked at him, confused and a bit hurt. He had just confessed his love for her, and now he was unwilling to share a bed with her as man and wife?

“I want all of you,” Darcy said, “mind, body, and soul. I have no interest in anything less. So we will wait until you want the same thing before we proceed any further.”

Elizabeth understood then that his refusal was due to his gentlemanly nature, and it stung a bit less that he had rejected her; indeed, it reassured her as to the depth of Darcy’s feelings towards her.

“But when I am ready, you will be as well?” she asked him.

“At any moment,” he said. “I am yours, now and always.”

She could not help it. She leaned over and brushed her lips over his. He tensed for a moment, and she worried that she had done the wrong thing, but then he relaxed and leaned into the kiss, placing a gentle hand on her cheek while their lips pressed together.

She broke the kiss and looked at him once again. She almost felt as if she would melt under the warmth of his gaze.

“Oh, my sweet Elizabeth,” he whispered. “This wait shall be agony, but there is no question you are worth it.”

He sat up and moved his chair back a bit, and she instantly missed him. Could it be true? Could she be falling in love with him that easily?

She had much to think about as Darcy rang a bell and their dinner service began. Later that night, as she fell asleep, all she could think of was the warmth of his lips pressing against hers.


	20. Chapter 20

Sleep came slowly for Elizabeth that night. For Darcy, it did not come at all. He had expected her to be confused and possibly upset. He had not planned on her kissing him. He thought back to the way her soft lips felt pressed against his and he groaned as he tossed in his bed. It had taken every ounce of strength he possessed to refuse her when she had spoken of consummating the marriage. He had meant what he said. When it happened, he wanted their feelings and desires to be in concert. But to actually look into her beautiful eyes and deny her? He had not known if he had the strength to do so until the words were already out of his mouth.

He was unsure precisely what came next. Even a welcome change is a change, and he did not know what his next move ought to be. He did know that he would have to be particularly conscious and in control of his temper. One more outburst could permanently damage their relationship, and he had not gotten this far only to lose her now.

As much as it pained him, he realized that the best thing to do would be to hold back and follow Elizabeth’s lead. Now that he had made it clear he did not want to rush her, he hoped that she would only move at the speed that was comfortable for her, and if he did the same, their relationship had its best chance to move forward.

***

The following morning, both Elizabeth and Darcy took their breakfast in the dining room, the grand table back in its rightful place. Georgiana had elected to have breakfast in her room, and knowing the young lady’s tact, Elizabeth could not believe Georgiana’s absence a coincidence. Elizabeth felt a bit shy, especially when she remembered how forward she had been in kissing Darcy. Darcy certainly did not seem to begrudge her that forwardness, however. Every time she glanced at him, he was looking right at her with a gentle smile on his lips.

Darcy finally broke the long silence.

“Do you have plans today?”

“Georgiana and I have a project that we have been working on,” said Elizabeth, failing to mention that the project was actually two of the servants. “We had planned to speak about that this morning.”

Darcy nodded. He did not know what the two of them had planned, but he pitied anyone who might get in their way. He knew each of the women, alone, to be formidable. Working together, he had no doubt of their success.

“Perhaps we can take a stroll around the grounds later,” he suggested.

“That would be lovely,” she said. “Maybe Georgiana would like to join us.”

He agreed, although her request worried him just a bit. Was she concerned about being alone with him? Was Georgiana to be their chaperone?

Elizabeth saw the concern in his face. “I only suggest including her so that she does not feel neglected,” she said. “I would hate for the growth of our relationship to make her feel like she does not belong.”

Darcy smiled, his fears assuaged. Of course; he was delighted that Elizabeth was so conscientious of Georgiana’s feelings. “Certainly, we should invite her,” he said.

“I shall see you after lunch, then,” Elizabeth said.

As she left the dining room, she stopped and put a gentle hand to Darcy’s cheek. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to the palm, enjoying her sigh at the touch of his lips.

“I will count the moments,” he said.

Elizabeth smiled on her way out of the room, feeling his kiss on her skin for quite some time afterwards.

***

Georgiana was unable to get much out of Elizabeth about dinner the previous night. Her sister-in-law responded to most questions with a smile, but without many details. However, based on Elizabeth’s mood, Georgiana suspected that the previous evening had been successful. Georgiana was also delighted to hear of the planned walk later that day, although she privately intended to keep a distance from her brother and Elizabeth so that whatever seed had been planted could continue to grow.

The two women turned to the business of the morning: Miss Stewart and Thomas.

“Have you seen the two of them together lately?” Elizabeth asked Georgiana.

“Much less than I have previously,” Georgiana replied.

“And Stewart has seemed a bit quieter than normal over the past few days. Certainly, there has been much less humming as of late.”

“I wonder if something is amiss. Could they really be having difficulties once again?”

Elizabeth thought over the bumpy start of her own relationship.

“They could be,” she mused. “Relationships are certainly not easy things. But I had hoped that their path would be clearer. Ought we to try to determine the problem?”

“Perhaps not,” said Georgiana. “We have given them ample opportunities to spend time together. I think that the work of the relationship is now theirs.”

Elizabeth realized that this was not a new tactic for Georgiana. She had done much the same in regards to Darcy and Elizabeth. Elizabeth further acknowledged the brilliance of this strategy. There was no way that her own relationship would have blossomed had she felt like someone was watching her every move. Things had to be free to move at their own pace. As much as Elizabeth wanted to help things along for Miss Stewart and Thomas, she understood Georgiana’s reasoning behind allowing things to happen unencumbered. The question was whether Elizabeth was as capable of not interfering as was Georgiana. Elizabeth certainly had her doubts regarding her own ability. Nonetheless, she would try to take a lesson from Georgiana and let things proceed at their own pace. Besides, with all the changes between Darcy and her lately, she was plenty busy thinking about her own relationship.

***

Georgiana spent the first few minutes of their walk chatting with Elizabeth and Darcy, and then suddenly caught a chill. She bade them to continue on their walk while she retrieved a shawl. Georgiana promised she would catch up with them, but it was not difficult for them to see her ruse for what it was. They smiled at each other as Georgiana returned to the house.

The next few moments were spent walking in amiable silence, as the sun warmed their backs and the nearby stream made soothing sounds as water moved over rock. Elizabeth thought, not for the first time, that there could be no place on Earth quite so beautiful as Pemberley.

After several minutes, Darcy spoke. “It is past time that I told you what occurred between Mr. Wickham and me,” he said. “You have spoken truly in the past when you said that I expect you to be aware of things that you could not possibly know. I have been reluctant to speak of this issue, and when I am done, I hope you understand why that is the case. But you are now my wife, and you deserve to know the truth.”

Elizabeth did not speak, but she took his hand to encourage him to continue.

“Mr. Wickham was the son of my father’s steward, and my father was his godfather,” Darcy said. “We grew up together, here at Pemberley. Wickham was, as you have seen, a charming young man, and my father was exceedingly fond of him. Indeed, Wickham and I were close in our youth. However, it was at Cambridge that I began to see a different side of George Wickham. He claimed to be preparing himself for the church, but he was less interested in receiving an education than he was in enjoying himself. It was at Cambridge that he fell in with those disreputable men who so recently abused your hospitality. It was my father’s money that got Wickham through Cambridge, and I was quite shocked when he successfully completed his work there. However, my father was not aware of the base quality of Mr. Wickham’s morals, and continued to support him.

“Our fathers passed away within six months of one another, six years ago. In his will, my father stated that he wished for Wickham to receive a particularly valuable living as soon as it came available. I was conflicted about this. I knew Wickham to be a scoundrel, but I did not want to dishonor the memory of my father by denying him this final wish.”

Elizabeth felt her eyes getting wider and wider as the story continued. The man that Darcy described was so very different from the mannerly Mr. Wickham that she had met in Meryton! She waited for Darcy to continue his story.

“Luckily, Mr. Wickham resolved the issue for me. He came to me one day and announced that he was no longer interested in being a clergyman. Rather, he said, he had some intention of studying the law. He asked for a sum of money instead of the living my father had intended for him. I agreed and he was given three thousand pounds. When he left, I assumed that I would never speak to him again, which was an idea that pained me very little.

“For several years I saw and heard nothing of him. However, two summers ago he once again intruded in my life, this time in a most horrible way. I must warn you that the next portion of my story involves my dear sister. As it seems you love her nearly as much as I, I am not concerned about you speaking of it to anyone else. However, I feel that I must tell you how much it continues to pain her. Please do not mention it to her unless she speaks of it first.”

“I would never act in a way that I thought would hurt Georgiana,” Elizabeth said, her brow knitted in concern. What could Georgiana have to do with the dastardly Mr. Wickham?

“Georgiana had a companion at that time, a woman named Mrs. Younge. They were settled in London, and I trusted Mrs. Younge much too readily, having been deceived about the quality of her character. The two of them traveled to Ramsgate, where Mr. Wickham met them. This meeting was planned between Mrs. Younge and Mr. Wickham, whose connection I neither understand nor desire to. The treacherous woman gave Wickham access to my sister, and he exploited the fond memories that she had of him from her childhood. Soon, poor Georgiana, who was only fifteen, was convinced that she was quite in love with Mr. Wickham, and they began to prepare for an elopement. Certainly my sister’s marriage settlement of thirty thousand pounds was attractive to him, but I rather think that causing me distress by taking the person most dear to me was at least as large a cause for him to put this scheme into action.

“However, he had not planned on the depth of Georgiana’s affection for me, the brother whom she looked up to nearly as a father. She was unable to go through with the elopement without receiving my blessing, so she wrote to me informing me of her impending marriage. I have never in my life traveled so quickly as I did to Ramsgate, and it is lucky that I did. I barely caught them before they began their trip to Scotland to wed. Wickham made himself scarce as soon as I arrived, and Mrs. Younge was, of course, removed from service. Since then, I have not been willing to trust her care to any but I or Colonel Fitzwilliam. I have felt that she was safe enough at Pemberley that I could leave sometimes, but that security was destroyed when I returned home to find Stapleton and Colbourne in my home.”

Elizabeth finally understood the reason for his extreme behavior on the night he returned home.

“I now see why you are so very protective of her,” she said. “I am ashamed that I was so thoroughly fooled by Mr. Wickham. Just the thought of what might have happened had Georgiana not written to you!”

“I do not like to think of it. Regardless, it does not excuse the way I spoke to you the night I returned home,” he said. “If I had trusted you with the truth earlier, I have no doubt you would have made a different choice in regards to allowing those scoundrels to stay.”

“Certainly it would have made me more cautious,” said Elizabeth. “I do wish that I had known this before, but I understand how very difficult it must be for you to speak of this. I appreciate your trust in sharing it with me.”

“It is not my intention to be secretive with you, just as it is not my intention to be cross,” he said, stopping so he could look directly in her eyes. “I have never felt for anyone as I feel for you. This is all new to me.”

“To me as well,” responded Elizabeth. “We will have to learn together.”

With his story told, Darcy and Elizabeth fell into a companionable silence and walked along the water, holding tightly to one another’s hand. Elizabeth felt not only the peace of her surroundings, but the peace of her company as well. If she had been told, a week prior, that she would feel so at ease with Darcy, she would have been unable to believe it. She found that the more she understood the man, the more his behavior made sense and was, if not entirely faultless, at least excusable.

Darcy was even more surprised than Elizabeth at their developing closeness. He had always been a man who kept his own counsel; however, he was quickly learning that Elizabeth would not exploit his openness as weakness. Rather, if she was able to understand him, it made her all the more agreeable towards him. It did not feel natural for him to speak about personal matters, but if it would lead to strengthening his marriage with Elizabeth, he was willing to take the risk.


	21. Chapter 21

Weeks passed, and Darcy and Elizabeth’s connection continued to develop. After they had spoken about many of the large issues, they felt freer to discuss the smaller ones, and they found themselves comfortable with one another in a way than neither could have imagined possible.

Darcy still burned for his wife, but he found it easier to wait for her now that he felt that their relationship was moving in a positive direction. Elizabeth, on the other hand, found herself experiencing emotions and feelings she had never imagined. She would notice certain mannerisms of Darcy’s: the way that he held his fork delicately but firmly, the set of his jaw when he spoke to his steward. These tiny movements led her to distraction far more often than she was willing to admit. Sometimes she would find herself staring at his fingers with no awareness that was doing so. Once, he caught her doing it, and he could not hide the small smile that came to his lips. Even this led to a fluttering in her stomach. Elizabeth finally allowed herself to admit how very attractive she found her husband. However, as to what to do with those feelings, she had very little idea.

Darcy had quite a few more ideas, but he was determined not to rush her into anything that might distress his wife. Elizabeth, having been rebuffed the last time she suggested that they might enjoy a greater intimacy, was likewise nervous about Darcy denying her yet again. So for much longer than it ought to have, their relationship was, to a degree, simply stalled.

This might have continued for much longer if it had not been for Elizabeth’s hair once again acting out quite of its own accord. One evening, the couple retired to their own suites at the same time. They bade one another goodnight in the hallway outside their rooms, and Elizabeth’s hair chose just that moment to slip free of its styling. It was only a few curls around her temples, yet it was enough that Darcy smiled and reached over, tucking the strands behind her ear. Elizabeth felt her breath catch at his touch, and Darcy froze, feeling the excited tension between them. After a moment, his fingers traced their way down Elizabeth’s jawline. She shivered under his touch, shocked that such a small caress could have such an enormous effect on her.

Darcy felt powerless to stop what was happening; what was more, in no way did he want to stop it. His eyes locked on Elizabeth’s, searching to see if what he was doing was acceptable. What he found was more than acceptance: the hunger in her eyes mirrored the hunger that he had felt for months. He tipped her chin up and kissed her, gently at first; to his great delight, she responded, stepping in towards him, so he deepened the kiss.

Elizabeth rose on the balls of her feet to get closer to her husband. She parted her lips and gasped as he kissed her more fervently; she realized that she was shaking, a bit in fear but mostly in anticipation. Darcy put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer still, growling softly in his throat as he did. The growl was her undoing: any part of her that had been reticent was swept away in a great wave of wanting.

“Please,” she whispered to him.

Even if Darcy had been able to restrain himself, that one word would have undone him. He lifted Elizabeth in his arms as if she weighed nothing. Her arms went around his neck and her hand into his hair as she kissed him again. Darcy opened the door to his suites and took his wife to bed for the first time.

***

Elizabeth woke in his bed the following morning, glancing around and trying to get her bearings. This was the first time she had so much as seen his sleeping chambers and she momentarily forgot where she was. She glanced over at her husband sleeping peacefully beside her and smiled. She had the opportunity to look at him, really look at him, for the first time. His hair was tousled and she resisted the urge to reach out and trace his cheekbone with her finger. Even in sleep, he wore a contented look on his face that she was sure was mirrored on her own.

All this time, she had been worried about the consummation of the marriage. She knew now that she need not have worried: Darcy was gentle and giving, checking with her often to ensure her happiness. She laughed quietly at herself for worrying so much.

Although her laugh was soft, it was enough to wake Darcy. He rolled over and smiled at her, reaching an arm out for her. She lay next to him, tracing a finger over his chest. In the past, she could not imagine being in this place with him. Now, she could not think of a future that did not include him.

“Did you sleep well?” he inquired.

She blushed a bit. “Very well, thank you.”

He smiled. “Well, now that you are well rested…” and pulled her in for a kiss.

***

Breakfast was, at the command of the master and mistress, served very late that morning. After their meal, Elizabeth returned to her room and unlocked the door that connected their two suites. At that moment, she never intended for it to be locked again.


	22. Chapter 22

Elizabeth was surprised to find that she felt shy around Darcy all over again. Now that their marriage had been consummated, she saw everything in their relationship in a new light. Sometimes she would find him staring at her with a small smile on his lips, as if he knew a secret to which no one else was privy. Her cheeks flushed and she often looked away, alarmed by how responsive her body was to his. She certainly understood now why marriage was a sacrament. What was happening between them was far too powerful to be anything but.

Darcy had never been so happy in his life. Finally, Elizabeth was his in every way. He often doubted he would ever be enough of a man to deserve her, but he was not about to let his fears stand in the way of loving her. He was thankful for his breeding; if it was not for the strong morals and mores that had been instilled in him his entire life, he did not know if he would be able to withstand even being in the same room as his wife without touching her.

Instead, he watched her as often as he could, marveling at the way her eyes lit up sometimes as she was staring off into the distance, as if a grand idea had just occurred to her. He was particularly drawn to her lips, although he understood that there he trod dangerous ground. It would not do to have the master of the house detain the mistress in midday. He reminded himself of this fact frequently, in an attempt to override the instinct that drove him to possess her.

They danced this _pas de deux_ for weeks, seeing no one but Georgiana and the servants and not minding a whit. Even when they were busy with household tasks, a corner of each of their minds was reserved for the other. They did not feel the passing of time, but time indeed passed. They were startled out of their extended reverie by the arrival of a letter.

Darcy frowned as he read it. “My Lady aunt wishes for us to visit,” he told Elizabeth.

Elizabeth could not help but shudder. She only knew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh from Mr. Collins’ effusive compliments and from Charlotte’s letters. The two painted a very contradictory picture. The one thing that was constant was the strong sense that Lady Catherine was not one to be trifled with. Elizabeth would not have especially cared about Lady Catherine’s opinion had she met her when she was still unwed, but she did not want to do anything that would embarrass her husband. She had known that she would be required to meet Lady Catherine at some point, but she had hoped to put it off for a while longer.

Nevertheless, she smiled and said, “Of course we must visit.”

Darcy seemed relieved at her acceptance of the trip. “I will make the necessary preparations. Three days should be sufficient. Would you be so good as to tell Georgiana when we will leave?”

Elizabeth agreed to tell Georgiana, and left the room. As soon as she was sure that Darcy could no longer see her, the carefree smile disappeared from her face. Was she ready for this particular trial?

***

Too soon for Elizabeth’s liking, she, Georgiana, and Darcy were traveling to Rosings. Georgiana took it upon herself to prepare Elizabeth for Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

“My aunt is quite determined of her own opinion,” instructed Georgiana. “You do not have to be of the same opinion, but be sure never to let her know that! She does not care whether you agree with her or not, as long as you pretend to.”

This was in no way settling Elizabeth’s nerves.

“She will want to hear you play the piano forte,” Georgiana continued. “She feels that a lady’s breeding is most evident in her musical accomplishments.”

Elizabeth was feeling even worse. “But I do not play well at all!” she said.

Georgiana smiled. “Then you play a good deal better than Lady Catherine and her daughter, Anne. However, my aunt maintains that should they have chosen to learn the instrument, they would naturally be quite proficient.”

Elizabeth had difficulty reconciling herself to the fact that her breeding would be evaluated on something the judge herself could not do, but she dismissed the thought. Lady Catherine could be quite as contradictory as she chose, and Elizabeth would just need to learn to tolerate it.

“It is not all bad news,” said Darcy, with a smile. “Our cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam will be there.”

He had spoken of Colonel Fitzwilliam often, but Elizabeth had not yet had the chance to meet the man. Considering how highly he was spoken of by both Darcy and Georgiana, Elizabeth was certain that she would like him.

Georgiana clapped. “Oh, Richard will be there!” she said excitedly. “Brother, why did you not tell me?”

“If I had told you, then I would not have it as a surprise now.”

Georgiana agreed that he was correct. Elizabeth could see a light in her sister-in-law’s eyes that had not been there before. “Tell me about him,” Elizabeth prompted.

“He is quite the most entertaining person!” Georgiana said. “He always has stories to tell, and he can make even the dullest topic seem interesting.” She leaned in conspiratorially and said, “He was quite my defender when I was younger and Fitzwilliam and Wi—well, Fitzwilliam wanted nothing to do with me.”

“What amuses boys of fifteen is much different from what amuses girls of four,” Darcy said mildly. “I believe that you ought to be thanking me for saving you from all sorts of things that young ladies ought not hear.”

Georgiana’s tone became serious. “Yes, but there is such a thing as being too sheltered,” she said, her eyes clouding for a moment. Elizabeth could only surmise that Georgiana alluded to the misdeeds of Mr. Wickham.

“Indeed,” Elizabeth said, attempting to divert her sister-in-law from such thoughts. “It is fortunate that you have someone as well-read as I to keep you informed,” she said lightly.

Georgiana looked at her, the light coming back into her eyes. “Yes, I am quite lucky indeed,” she said. “Now, back to preparing you for what is to come.”


	23. Chapter 23

Rosings Park was very grand, but Elizabeth thought it could not possibly compete with the beauty of Pemberley. Nonetheless, it was quite an estate. Georgiana pointed out the parsonage as they passed by and Elizabeth was saddened that Charlotte Collins was no longer there to greet her. She would have much preferred gossiping with Charlotte over meeting Lady Catherine, but she supposed that she would have to wait until they returned to Meryton for that reunion.

The house loomed in the distance, the clean white stone declaring that it was fairly recently built. It was at least as large as Pemberley, but to Elizabeth it lacked much of its charm. Elizabeth viewed the park and determined it to be perfectly serviceable, but lacking any particular spark. Rosings seemed to stand in opposition to the natural world around it, rather than in concert with it as Pemberley did. From the outside, the house seemed altogether impressive, but not especially extraordinary.

Elizabeth’s opinion did not change as they entered the great house. It was clear that quite a lot of money had gone into the estate; everything she could see was of the best quality. However, it lacked warmth, as if it was a museum rather than a home. She could not see any sign of what was important to the home’s inhabitants, aside from wealth.

The butler delivered Darcy, Georgiana, and Elizabeth to a large drawing room. Floor to ceiling windows let in natural light, filtered through translucent window coverings. Elizabeth enjoyed the feel of the sun on her face as they walked to the far end of the room.

A woman who could be none other than Lady Catherine sat there, watching them approach. She was tall and solidly built, with striking features; she was certainly an intimidating picture. To her right, there was a slight young woman who could only be Miss Anne de Bourgh. She did indeed look as unwell as Georgiana had described: she was pale and slightly hunched, as if even sitting still was a trial for her. There was another woman, much less finely dressed, with them, and Elizabeth guessed her to be Anne’s companion.

Lady Catherine stared, waiting for her guests to begin the social niceties. Darcy bowed and Georgiana curtsied as they murmured hello to their aunt, and then Darcy introduced Elizabeth.

Suddenly Elizabeth was unsure of her footing. She hoped to make a good impression, for Darcy’s sake if not for her own, but her curtsy did not seem willing to cooperate. She stumbled a bit, recovered, and managed to finish off fairly well.

“So, you are Darcy’s mystery bride?” Lady Catherine said, tilting her head up a bit and looking down her nose at Elizabeth.

“I am, ma’am,” Elizabeth said. To her chagrin her voice caught just a bit at her answer.

“I am nothing if not direct, and I must tell you that we expected Darcy to go in quite a different direction when choosing a wife. Indeed,” Lady Catherine said, her mouth twisting into a frown, “my sister and I had intended for him to wed Anne.”

Elizabeth was shocked to hear this particular piece of news, but managed to keep her face calm. She glanced at Darcy for support, and he gave her an almost imperceptible shake of his head, indicating that there was more to the story.

“I was unaware,” she said quietly.

“It had been quite our greatest wish, and I was shocked to hear that Darcy did something so rash,” Lady Catherine said, directing a disapproving look towards her nephew. “But, I suppose what is done, is done, and we shall just have to make the best of it. So welcome to Rosings, and welcome to the family, Mrs. Darcy.”

Elizabeth had the sudden urge to laugh at this woman who took herself so seriously, who believed that her opinion was so very important that she would shame a guest in her home about something over which they had no control. Lady Catherine may think that she was well-bred, but Elizabeth had seen better manners from Pemberley’s tenant farmers. However, she knew that a laugh would only make the situation worse. She pursed her lips in an attempt to contain her mirth, and looked down, nodding her head at Lady Catherine, to hide her expression.

“Aunt, we are quite fatigued after our journey,” Darcy said, coming to her rescue. “Might we retire to our rooms until dinner?”

“You may,” said Lady Catherine, waving her hand and behaving as if Darcy was earnestly asking her permission to leave. “I shall see all of you at dinner. Georgiana, perhaps you can inform Mrs. Darcy on the correct way to dress for a Rosings dinner?”

“Certainly, Aunt,” Georgiana said, and the three of took their leave quickly, before Lady Catherine could change her mind and revoke their permission.

On their way up the stairs, Elizabeth took Georgiana’s arm and quietly asked, “What is the appropriate dress for a Rosings dinner?”

“Oh, it does not matter,” Georgiana said lightly, “as long as one comes from the right family.”

Elizabeth saw it for the joke it was, and finally let out the laugh she had been restraining since they left the sitting room. Georgiana laughed along with her, and Elizabeth felt a bit better.

“Just because Lady Catherine is more formal than you are used to is no reason to mock her, ladies,” Darcy said with a small frown.

“Dear brother, that was not formality so much as it was using etiquette to hide rudeness,” said Georgiana succinctly.

“I am not in charge of her behavior, but I am certainly in charge of yours,” Darcy said, “and I shall not have you insulting our aunt under her own roof.”

Georgiana looked at Elizabeth and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing further. Elizabeth had never heard Darcy speak so sharply to Georgiana before, nor had she ever heard Georgiana say a disparaging word about anyone. It seemed that the rules were different at Rosings, and she would have to be very much on her guard until she figured them out.

***

Darcy and Elizabeth’s rooms were further down the hall than Georgiana’s. Once her sister-in-law was settled and they were on their way to their own suites, Elizabeth asked the question that had been on her mind since speaking with Lady Catherine.

“What did she mean that you were to marry Anne?” she asked, curiously.

Darcy looked displeased at having to speak of the issue. “To hear my aunt tell it, she and my mother had Anne and I affianced nearly from birth. However, I asked my father about it on more than one occasion, and it seems my mother never mentioned such an arrangement to him; I find it difficult to believe that my mother would make such a plan for me without informing my father. All this leads me to believe that while my aunt and mother may have discussed it, nothing was formalized. Lady Catherine may have had the expectation that Anne and I would wed, but I think that she was quite alone in that belief.”

Elizabeth nodded, thinking it through. While Darcy might be convinced that it was a fantasy of Lady Catherine’s, it certainly must have been awkward for him to be around his cousin when he was growing up. She wondered if things would be different if Anne were not so ill.

“Do you know what ails her?” she asked.

“I do not,” replied Darcy. “She has not been well for as long as I can recall, but I am unaware what makes her so.”

Elizabeth was struck with sympathy for Anne. No sisters or brothers, no chance to spend time in London to meet anyone new, just shut up in Rosings with her overbearing mother. Elizabeth thought that it was rather enough to make anyone sick. She resolved to be kind to Anne if the opportunity arose.

They arrived at their side-by-side suites and took leave of one another to prepare for dinner. Elizabeth was relieved to learn that Stewart had already spoken to Georgiana’s lady’s maid and understood the protocol for dressing for dinner at Rosings. She was going to have a difficult enough time holding her tongue during dinner. At least she would not have to worry about being incorrectly dressed, as well.


	24. Chapter 24

When they descended for dinner, Elizabeth discovered that there was a new addition to their party: Colonel Fitzwilliam had arrived. He looked not a single bit like Darcy; she was surprised that the two of them could be related. He had a ruddy complexion, light hair, and bright blue eyes that seemed interested in everything they saw. He was not a handsome man, but he had the definitive look of a gentleman to him. Elizabeth suspected that, if his expression was an indication of his disposition, he would be quite enjoyable indeed.

He dropped a low bow at being introduced to her, which caused Lady Catherine to clear her throat.

“I have heard so much of you,” Fitzwilliam said, “and I can see that my cousin did not exaggerate your beauty whatsoever.”

Elizabeth blushed, not knowing how to respond to the compliment, especially under the watchful eye of Lady Catherine. Elizabeth smiled and simply told the Colonel how much she had looked forward to meeting him.

“After spending time with this old chap, I believe that you will find me quite interesting,” Fitzwilliam said, looking over at Darcy. Darcy gave him a half smile and Elizabeth understood that this was the way of their relationship, and that there was no ill will between them.

After the introductions were made, Georgiana gave her cousin a hug and he remarked on how different she looked from the last time he saw her.

“Why, when last I left Pemberley I said farewell to a little girl,” he said. “Who is this poised young lady who stands in front of me?”

Georgiana laughed, and Elizabeth marveled at the life that Colonel Fitzwilliam had brought to the company. Lady Catherine did not seem happy to be left out of the conversation, and she called for Fitzwilliam to escort her into the dining room. The rest of the party followed, and Elizabeth had a chance to watch Anne move. She was so very small and frail, as if a stiff wind could blow her over. Elizabeth was struck with sorrow for the poor young woman.

She was so intent on watching Anne that she did not properly notice where she was sitting for the meal. Upon looking around, she was delighted to find that she was seated in between Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana. If anyone could keep this dinner interesting, it was the two of them. The first course was served and Elizabeth prepared to eat, but was interrupted.

“Mrs. Darcy, tell me about your family,” Lady Catherine’s authoritative voice boomed from the head of the table.

“We are from Hertfordshire, ma’am. We lived on an estate called Longbourn until my father passed away, and my mother now lives with three of my four sisters. My eldest sister, Jane, is recently wed to Mr. Charles Bingley.”

At this, Lady Catherine looked sharply at Darcy. “Is this the same Bingley that you cavort about with?”

Darcy looked slightly taken aback, and responded, “I do not think that I cavort with anyone whatsoever.”

Elizabeth choked on her soup, unable to contain her laughter at seeing her poised husband so taken aback, and at the foolishness of the original question. She waved away Georgiana’s concern and composed herself.

Darcy gave her a sharp look, knowing perfectly well what caused her coughing spell. “Mr. Bingley is a friend of mine, yes.”

“And his father was in trade, was he not?” asked Lady Catherine.

“He was, but he did quite well for himself, as has his son. Bingley is currently considering the purchase of an estate.”

Lady Catherine did not look especially impressed at this news.

“So, you have one sister married to the son of a tradesman, and one married to the grandson of an earl,” she said. “What of your sisters? Are they likewise searching for husbands from good families, or will they follow your sister’s example?”

“I am quite unsure, Lady Catherine,” said Elizabeth, trying not to let annoyance creep into her voice. “I do hope that they can wed for love.”

“Hmm,” said Lady Catherine, seeming unimpressed. She raised an eyebrow as if to dismiss the subject, and turned to Darcy to speak with him about renovations on the east wing of Rosings.

“This is her best behavior,” whispered Colonel Fitzwilliam beside her. “I apologize for not coming to your aid. Sometimes, if she is thwarted in her line of questioning, it becomes even more uncomfortable for the one being questioned. You did admirably well.”

Elizabeth smiled, glad to hear some friendly words. “Darcy thinks quite highly of you,” she said. “Have the two of you always been close?”

“I am a few years older, so there were times during our childhood that I tried my best to ignore him. That did not last long; when he has decided on something, he usually gets it.”

Elizabeth nodded her head slightly, thinking of their marriage.

“I trust the man with my life,” Colonel Fitzwilliam continued. “I am glad that you were able to see beneath the mask he sometimes wears. Often, people who do not know him consider him boring, which we both know is far from the truth.”

Elizabeth mused that her opinion in that direction changed with every day they spent together. She and Colonel Fitzwilliam continued chatting about insignificant matters. Elizabeth thought of how soothing it was to speak with someone with whom she did not have to be on her guard.

No sooner had she thought that than Lady Catherine spoke, clearly unhappy at being excluded from the conversation.

“Mrs. Darcy, I assume that you play the piano forte?” she said. Darcy looked at her from across the table and raised an eyebrow, silently entreating Elizabeth to behave herself.

“Only poorly, ma’ am,” Elizabeth said, with an even tone. “Not whatsoever as well as my dear sister-in-law.”

Lady Catherine nodded as if this confirmed her suspicions. “Talent on the piano forte is a mark of good breeding. Neither Anne nor I play, but I am certain that if we did, we would be great proficients.”

Elizabeth was grateful that Georgiana sat further down the table so that they were unable to make eye contact; had they met each other’s eyes, Elizabeth was certain both would have burst into laughter. She told herself to remember to congratulate Georgiana, the next time they were alone, on how well she knew her aunt.

“Georgiana, we will have music after dinner,” commanded Lady Catherine. “I must ensure that you have been properly practicing.”

“I would be delighted,” Georgiana replied. Elizabeth inwardly sighed in relief, glad that Lady Catherine did not intend to further embarrass her by forcing her to prove how poorly she played.

Dinner continued to be a largely staid event, punctuated by good-natured whispers from Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana, and otherwise by Lady Catherine’s stern interjections. It gave Elizabeth an opportunity to observe Anne. She sat near the head of the table, next to her mother and across from Darcy. Anne seemed to follow the conversation well enough, based on her small smiles at the appropriate times, but she looked fatigued, as if recuperating from a long bout of physical exertion. Elizabeth noticed that Mrs. Jenkinson, Anne’s companion, fussed over her nearly constantly, asking if she was hot, then if she was cold, if the fish was to her liking, if she needed anything at all. Elizabeth considered that it was better for her companion to be overly solicitous rather than neglectful, but it did seem that her continual chatter would make a tired person even more so.

She was startled out of her thoughts by Lady Catherine’s announcement that they should retire to the drawing room so that Georgiana could play. Elizabeth could not even recall the last course of dinner, although she had no doubt that it was as delightful as the prior courses had been. Whatever faults Lady Catherine had, she certainly had managed to retain an exceptional cook.

Darcy stepped over to Elizabeth and offered her his arm. She was grateful for his closeness, and momentarily pressed her side against his. He smiled down at her indulgently, and she smiled back. When she glanced up, she noticed that Lady Catherine was watching them with a small frown on her lips. Elizabeth squeezed closer to Darcy, who did not appear to have noticed his aunt. If Lady Catherine thought that her disapproval would change Elizabeth’s course, she was severely mistaken. Elizabeth had had quite enough of Lady Catherine’s disdain; she rather thought that she was becoming somewhat immune to it.

The party moved into the sitting room where the grand piano stood. Georgiana moved confidently to the piano bench, and Elizabeth was relieved once again that it was not she who was expected to entertain. She took a seat on a settee; Darcy stood behind her, and Fitzwilliam stopped to speak with the two of them. Elizabeth relaxed, shielded somewhat from Lady Catherine’s disapproval, and listened to the two men reminisce about their childhood exploits.

She was feeling a bit drowsy in a comfortable sort of way when her eyes landed on Anne once more. Anne sat very still, watching Georgiana play piano. Even Mrs. Jenkinson had stopped her continual interrogations. Elizabeth thought that it would be as good a time as any to speak with Anne. She softly excused herself and went over to the settee where Anne sat.

“Hello,” Elizabeth said, sliding on the settee next to Anne. “We have not had a chance to talk. I am so pleased to meet you.”

Anne looked briefly surprised, as if she was not used to people speaking directly to her. “I am also pleased to meet you,” she said, and then, dropping her voice, added, “And I am so very glad that you married Darcy so Mother had to let go of this foolish idea of our betrothal.”

Elizabeth was startled that Anne was so forthright, but she was grateful for it.

“I am glad to hear that our marriage has not upset you.”

Anne laughed then, a raspy laugh that quickly devolved into a cough. Mrs. Jenkinson was there almost instantly, pressing a silk square into Anne’s hand, but Anne waved her away.

“Much to the contrary!” said Anne. “I love him as a cousin, but he and I would not be compatible at all as husband and wife. You have done me a great service.”

Elizabeth smiled, delighted to find such a lively and open personality beneath the sickly exterior.

“But you must excuse me,” said Anne. “I am feeling poorly tonight. Would you sit here with me and enjoy the music? I do so love Mozart’s works.”

Elizabeth agreed, and the two sat in companionable silence, listening to Georgiana’s perfect rendition of the piece. Elizabeth reflected that she was happy about the trip, if for no other reason than getting a chance to get to know Anne and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Why, they were both so pleasant that it even made up for dour raincloud that was Lady Catherine!

After the piece was over, Anne bade everyone goodnight and retired to her suite. Darcy seized on the opportunity and said that he was quite tired as well. He held his arm for Elizabeth and escorted her back to their room.

***

His passion for her had waned not a bit, and neither had hers for him. It felt strange for her to be in a bed that was neither hers nor Darcy’s, but she quickly forgot about the location and gave herself over entirely to her husband. That night, they slept the sleep of the well-sated.


	25. Chapter 25

The following morning, Elizabeth pleaded for a solitary walk to explore the area around Rosings. Darcy had intended to spend the morning riding with Colonel Fitzwilliam, but he found himself cornered by his aunt after breakfast.

“Nephew,” she said, “I find it very distasteful that you are so forward in showing your affection with your wife. I know that there is a period in the beginning of some marriages where couples are very affectionate, but it is rather base of you to do so in front of others. Especially in front of Anne! What of her feelings? Must you continually expose her to this indiscretion?”

Darcy stood stunned during this diatribe, but presently he recovered himself enough to respond.

“Aunt, I do not feel that my wife and I have been at any point inappropriate, but I will consider Anne’s feelings while we are at Rosings.”

“While you are at Rosings?” she said, her voice rising nearly to a screech. “I will have no nephew of mine gallivanting around and behaving inappropriately! Remember who your grandfather was!”

“There has been no gallivanting of any sort,” Darcy said coldly.

Lady Catherine tried a different tack. Her voice became more cajoling.

“Darcy, did you ever see your parents act so freely towards one another? Have you seen it amongst your own relations? You must be certain, dear boy, that you maintain propriety, especially since your wife comes from a different class than you.”

Darcy opened his mouth to say that he and Elizabeth were of the same class, but then quickly closed it. There was nothing to be gained from trying to argue that with his aunt. What was more, he indeed had never seen his parents touch each other affectionately, although he had no doubt of the depth of their love for one another.

Could it be true that he and Elizabeth had been inappropriate? Since their marriage had been consummated, they had been around no one except Georgiana and the servants; certainly no one who would feel comfortable telling him that he was skirting the line of propriety or giving offense to others. He was well aware of his aunt’s meddling ways, but in this instance, at least, it might be that what she said was the truth. Certainly, if she thought it improper, then the other matrons of society were likely to as well. The last thing he wanted was for Elizabeth to appear to be the cause of his loss of etiquette, or for Elizabeth to be considered any sort of detrimental influence.

He bowed. “Thank you for calling my attention to this,” he said. “I will remedy it immediately.”

With a satisfied swish of her skirt, Lady Catherine turned and marched away, confident in her victory.

***

Elizabeth’s morning was quite a bit more pleasant than Darcy’s. She savored her walk, feeling the sunshine warm on her face after spending too much time inside. Lady Catherine had frowned at the idea of Elizabeth walking and had instead offered her the carriage, which Elizabeth had declined. She knew that she should offer some concessions towards Lady Catherine, but at that very point in time, she considered the fact that they were still speaking to be concession enough.

“Arrogant woman,” Elizabeth said under her breath, happy to be able to voice what she had been feeling since they arrived, if only to herself.

She walked near the parsonage, peering at it curiously. It was where Mr. Collins had brought his bride after they were married, and Elizabeth very much wanted to see how Charlotte had decorated the house. There did not appear to be anyone around, but the lawn and garden were well tended. Elizabeth reminded herself that surely Lady Catherine would have replaced Mr. Collins, and so someone else would be living in the parsonage. With regret, she steered away from the house. It would not do to be caught spying on the new parson. How on earth would she explain _that_ at dinner?

Elizabeth began to walk towards a grove of trees at the crest of a hill. She did not have any particular end point in mind, so the trees seemed as good a destination as any. She was glad for the fact that she had requested that Miss Stewart pack a sturdy day dress that she was not worried about snagging; it felt freeing to be able to explore as she used to in the days before her father had passed away.

The trees presented a bit of an optical illusion, and the walk up the hill took her longer than expected. Elizabeth reached the top, cheeks flushed with exertion, and sat for a moment under a tree, simply enjoying the fresh air. Since her walk up the hill had taken her longer than she thought, she gave herself permission to descend much more quickly than was strictly proper. She nearly bounded down the hill, darting side to side and laughing as the wind fluttered through her curls.

Elizabeth was quickly approaching the road and she cautioned herself to slow down. Before she could return herself to a proper state, a phaeton rounded a bend in the road and she was face to face with Anne.

Elizabeth stared for a moment, her hair a mess and her cheeks flushed, and had no idea what to say. Luckily, Anne spoke first.

“It appears that you are enjoying your walk,” she said, with a smile.

Elizabeth smiled back. “I do so love the fresh air.”

“I do, as well,” said Anne. “Mrs. Jenkinson and I enjoy our rides so much, do we not, Mrs. Jenkinson?”

Anne’s companion smiled and then busied herself arranging the blanket that lay on Anne’s lap.

“I would invite you to ride with us, but we lack the capacity,” said Anne, gesturing to the two seats in the cart.

“Thank you for thinking of me, but I am happy to walk back,” Elizabeth said. “It is so very peaceful.”

“I understand,” said Anne. Her smile faltered for a moment, and Elizabeth mused that she must almost never get time to herself, without the watchful eye of either her companion or her mother. Anne was like a delicate songbird, trapped in a cage for her own protection. Once again, Elizabeth was overwhelmed with pity for Anne.

Suddenly Anne regained her smile, although it was tinged with sadness. “We shall see one another back at Rosings, then,” she said, and commanded her ponies forward.

Elizabeth began her walk back to the house, but her mind was filled with troubled thoughts of what could be done to help Anne.


	26. Chapter 26

Even with the consideration of Anne’s situation, Elizabeth felt more refreshed after her walk. She certainly felt that she was more prepared to interact, once more, with Lady Catherine. After a brief rest she dressed for lunch. As she left her room, she encountered Darcy in the hallway.

“Did you and Colonel Fitzwilliam have a pleasant morning?” she asked, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He backed away and she stumbled a bit. He put his hand on her elbow to steady her, but then took a definite step back and away from her.

“It was very enjoyable. Thank you for asking,” he said, somewhat stiffly.

Elizabeth was immediately on her guard. He had been behaving differently since they had arrived—less relaxed and much more likely to take offense, though this had not yet been directed towards her. Elizabeth had assumed that it was simply due to him falling into those old patterns that most families had, or to the strain of Lady Catherine’s presence. However, this felt different, almost as if he was intentionally trying to put a distance between them. She made a note to herself to see if it continued, and asked him further questions about his morning.

It was clear that he was agitated about something, but Elizabeth could not imagine what it was. He was behaving more like the Darcy that she had met at the dance in Meryton, and less like the man that she had gotten to know over the previous months. Elizabeth was quite unsettled by the time they arrived for lunch.

Darcy pointedly pulled out a chair for her next to Anne, and away from where he was sitting. One glance at the triumphant look on Lady Catherine’s face gave Elizabeth all the information that she needed about who was to blame for the sudden tension. Of course this was Lady Catherine’s doing! What could she have said to Darcy that would cause him to behave in this way?

Elizabeth settled into her seat next to Anne. She had had a thought when she was walking about something that might brighten Anne’s spirits, but she suspected that Lady Catherine would not approve. However, considering that Lady Catherine felt it appropriate to interfere in other people’s relationships, Elizabeth did not feel one bit guilty about passing her own idea on to Anne.

Elizabeth leaned over and whispered discreetly to Anne, “Do you read, Miss de Bourgh?”

Anne looked a bit startled. “Well, yes,” she said. “I read scripture, sermons, poetry…”

Elizabeth knew that what she was about to suggest was, in the minds of some people, improper. She planned to do it anyway.

“What about novels?” she asked.

Anne looked at her, her eyebrows raised. “Well, no,” she said. “Mother does not approve of such foolishness.”

“It is not foolishness,” Elizabeth said, working to keep the passion in her voice from making her louder than her intended whisper. “Through novels, you can live a hundred other lives and go places that you could not even imagine.”

Anne smiled. “That does sound like an enjoyable diversion,” she said.

“Can Mrs. Jenkinson’s discretion be trusted?” Elizabeth asked.

“Well, not always, but she has always kept my confidences when I have asked her to,” said Anne.

“Would you ask her to do so in this instance?”

Anne reached out and gently squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “Of course,” she said.

“I have brought with me two novels. I have finished one, and it will be easy for me to replace the other. Let me leave them with you. I think you will find them diverting.”

Anne smiled genuinely at Elizabeth. “Thank you,” she said. “So often people behave as though I am just another piece of the furniture at Rosings. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.”

Elizabeth smiled back. At that moment, Lady Catherine realized that a conversation was happening of which she was not a party, and demanded to be apprised of the discussion.

Anne smoothly told the story of how they had met each other earlier that afternoon. Elizabeth was relieved there was no mention made of her bouncing down the hill. Lady Catherine seemed disinterested in the topic and turned to make conversation with Darcy instead.

Anne and Elizabeth shared one more covert look, and Elizabeth nearly forgot about Darcy’s strange behavior. But not entirely. After dinner, he was going to give her an explanation, regardless of whether he wanted to or not.

***

When Elizabeth retired for the night, Darcy followed her. Instead of allowing her to return to her own suite, he guided her into his and dismissed his valet. She allowed this; it did not matter where the discussion was had, only that they had it.

Darcy pulled her close, longing for the connection that they had been denied since he spoke with his aunt. He bent down to kiss her, only to have her nimbly step away from his embrace.

“What is the matter?” he asked, confused.

“I should be asking you the same question,” said Elizabeth. “You have barely spoken to me since lunch, and now you have amorous intentions towards me?”

“Well, to be fair, I always have amorous intentions towards you,” he said, attempting to lighten the mood and failing miserably. The storm in her eyes became even more turbulent.

“On our way to lunch, you made it clear that you did not want me to touch you,” she said. “Am I only good enough for the bedroom? Are you ashamed of me in front of your family?”

Darcy looked mortified. “I would never be ashamed of you,” he said.

“It certainly felt as if you were,” she said. “Did this change in behavior have anything to do with your aunt?

He looked at her abashedly. How could she read him so very easily? One afternoon and evening of observing him, and the plan he had formed for her protection was exposed.

“She expressed her concern about the amount of affection that we show to one another,” he said. “And if my aunt finds fault with it, I can assure you that many of her friends will as well. I had hoped to preserve your reputation.”

Elizabeth laughed. “I am quite certain of the security of my reputation,” she said. “I suspect your aunt’s friends have little to do other than gossip about such things. If it was not our affection towards one another, I’m sure my hair or the way I dance would equally offend them. And if I were to open my mouth—well, it would give them enough gossip provisions to last for months!”

He began to defend his aunt’s intentions, but then he realized that Elizabeth was correct. If the proper ladies of the _ton_ wanted to judge Elizabeth, they would find something about which to judge her. The only thing that he could do was show her unfailing support, which was something that he failed to do when he spoke with his aunt earlier.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her. “Then let everyone know of my love for my wife,” he said. “And let me show the lady herself right now.”

Elizabeth allowed him.

***

The next morning, Darcy escorted Elizabeth to breakfast. She pressed against him once again, and, true to his word, he seemed happy to have her there. Elizabeth thought that Lady Catherine’s eyebrows might rise to meet her hairline, such was her surprise at them walking into the dining room as a couple. Elizabeth had to make a conscious effort to compose herself and not laugh at the idea of Lady Catherine’s forehead entirely disappearing in a fit of consternation.

Elizabeth spent her time at breakfast speaking with everyone except Lady Catherine. Lady Catherine, of course, made it a point to insert herself into every conversation regardless. Elizabeth allowed her to in a way that felt, to Elizabeth at least, very gracious; after all, Elizabeth knew that she had won. It would not do to gloat; at least not very much.

Anne cleared her throat and the room quieted. It was unusual for Anne to speak to the entire table at a meal; Anne normally followed the conversation without contributing. Everyone curiously waited for what she had to say.

“I am so very sorry that you will be leaving us tomorrow,” she said, looking around to include all their guests in her statement. “Will you not stay a bit longer? I am certain my gracious mother would be nothing short of delighted if you were to extend your stay with us.”

Lady Catherine sat with her lips pursed, but she did not say anything to contradict her daughter.

“Your offer is very kind, cousin, but I am expected back,” Colonel Fitzwilliam told her with a warm smile.

“We, too, are unable to continue our visit,” said Darcy, and Elizabeth released the breath she did not even realize she was holding. She longed to return to the peace and privacy of Pemberley.

“Oh, what a shame,” said Anne. “It has been so nice to have your company.” She looked directly at Elizabeth and smiled as she said this.

“Now, Anne,” Lady Catherine said, finally finding her voice. “Do not make our guests feel guilty for being unable to remain with us. As I always say, being a gracious hostess is the mark of good breeding.”

Anne looked at her mother dubiously, as if she had never heard her say it before. “As you say, Mother,” she said. With that, she leaned back in her chair and Mrs. Jenkinson immediately began her fussing routine, ensuring that Anne was as comfortable as she could be.

Elizabeth smiled across the table at Anne. It was the closest that she had seen Anne come to standing up to her mother, and she knew how difficult it must be to say anything contrary to a mother like Lady Catherine. Why, being at Rosings had made her own mother appear nearly saintly in comparison! That was certainly an idea that Elizabeth had never thought would cross her mind. She was learning all sorts of things on this trip.

***

The following morning the Darcys departed Rosings for home. Elizabeth did not recall a time when she had been more relieved to leave a place. Although Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne were wonderful, Lady Catherine cast a pall over the visit. Even when she was not in the room, her presence remained like an extremely judgmental ghost.

Georgiana seemed relieved as well. She leaned back against the carriage bench, adopting as informal a pose as Elizabeth had ever seen her take, and let out a breath.

“And thus our duty is done, at least for a few months,” she said.

Darcy’s mood seemed lighter as well, evidenced by the fact that he did not chastise Georgiana for this remark.

“Well, now the excitement of this trip is behind us, we must plan our next diversion,” said Georgiana.

“Life is not jumping from one diversion to another,” said Darcy mildly, in a tone that indicated he was not correcting her from anything other than habit.

“Your wedding has not been properly celebrated,” said Georgiana. “What if we were to throw a ball in Elizabeth’s honor?”

Elizabeth felt her cheeks reddening. “I do not know that I want to be the cause of a ball,” she said.

Georgiana smiled at her and said, “You are not the cause. You are the excuse. Just think of it, we could invite all our friends, and your family could come visit!”

Elizabeth was certain that it was unfamiliarity with her family (aside from Jane) that led Georgiana to believe this would make a compelling argument.

“I see no reason that we should not have a ball to celebrate our marriage,” Darcy said. He pretended to ignore the look on Elizabeth’s face. “And it would be an excellent opportunity for your family to visit Pemberley.”

Elizabeth sighed. “I feel as if the two of you are united against me,” she said. “But if you think it is a good idea, then we have a ball to plan.”

They spent much of the remaining trip back to Pemberley discussing everything that needed to be done. Elizabeth began to consider that if she had known how much work had to be done to prepare a ball, she should not have agreed in the first place. However, there was no dissuading Georgiana, so Elizabeth realized that she would just have to make the best of it.


	27. Chapter 27

It was a relief to everyone to arrive back at Pemberley, and none was more delighted than Miss Stewart, who had been apart from Thomas for what felt like an eternity. Elizabeth made certain to limit Miss Stewart’s duties to give the young maid and her sweetheart time to spend together. She would often see them out the window, sitting on the edge of the large fountain in the garden and smiling at one another. It delighted her to see that their relationship was still on such solid footing.

Beyond this, Elizabeth had plenty to keep her occupied in planning the upcoming ball. It was the largest gathering she had hosted as the lady of Pemberley, and there was much to learn and to do. New staff was brought on temporarily to prepare. She enlisted Georgiana’s help as often as she could, and found her sister-in-law continued to be a capable and enjoyable ally. They worked together on the guest list, with Georgiana providing valuable context for Elizabeth on who ought to be invited, who could not be in the same room as a certain someone else, and who would make an enjoyable addition to the party. Elizabeth felt quite overwhelmed, but at the same time she looked forward to seeing her family.

The date of the ball was set for late summer, after the close of the London season. Invitations were sent and responses were quick and almost all favorable. A ball at Pemberley was a unique diversion, and most of the guests invited were keen to attend. Mrs. Bennet responded rapturously that the entire Bennet family would attend, and the Bingleys responded that they would be there, including Miss Bingley and the Hursts. Elizabeth did not look forward to seeing Mr. Bingley’s sisters, but of course they could not be excluded from the guest list.

Elizabeth’s wardrobe was so extensive at that point that she did not need to have a gown made, which was a relief to her. With all the other preparations required, she did not think that she would be able to bear the fittings required for a new dress. The planning was simplified in another way, as well: Mr. Porter was very deferential to Elizabeth’s menu planning. Elizabeth would even go so far as to call him helpful. After the row that had preceded the Bingleys’ previous visit, she was extremely glad for this change in behavior.

In all, the planning, although time-consuming, was not nearly as overwhelming as Elizabeth had feared. There were actually moments when she looked forward to the ball. It had been so long since she had seen her family and she was excited to show them Pemberley. She began to think that perhaps she had a successful future as the lady of an estate after all.

***

Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s marriage continued to flourish, all distance between them gradually dissipating. Darcy was especially deferential since their argument at Rosings, careful to communicate rather than keep his own counsel. Elizabeth appreciated his continual efforts to show his love for her, although she wondered about his ability to maintain it in the face of anyone’s disapproval. She was not naive enough to believe that Lady Catherine was the only society matron who would be shocked by the fact that she and Darcy loved one another and were not willing to hide the fact. She suspected that there would be more than one sour look directed at her during the upcoming ball; Elizabeth was unafraid of these looks, but she wondered how Darcy, who always attempted to be proper in whatever he did, would react to them. It would certainly be informative.

As the ball drew closer, Elizabeth began to feel tired more and more often. She could not imagine the reason; the preparations were going well, she had ample help, and the planning was nearly done. However, after lunch each day for a week she had to take a nap, or risk falling asleep in her dinner. It was frustrating to her, mostly because it had begun to happen so suddenly and she had no idea the cause.

Within a week, she was also experiencing nausea. It tended to strike right before she had eaten breakfast, but it sometimes happened at other times as well. Elizabeth had managed to keep her symptoms from everyone but Miss Stewart, but this sudden illness had her quite unnerved.

“Ought I to send for the doctor, Stewart?” she asked as her lady’s maid applied cool compresses after the most recent attack. “If I am ill, will we have to cancel the ball? It would be difficult to do so, but of what use am I to our guests if I am ill? What if it is contagious?”

Miss Stewart laughed, and Elizabeth looked up at her, startled.

“I did not realize that illness was so entertaining,” Elizabeth said.

“I am so very sorry, my lady,” said Miss Stewart, composing herself. “But surely you do not think that your condition is contagious.”

“Well, I certainly do not know. I have not yet spoken with a doc—oh!”

The meaning of Miss Stewart’s implication suddenly became clear, and Elizabeth was embarrassed that it had taken so long for her to realize that particular possible cause of her fatigue and nausea.

“Do you think I am with child?” she whispered.

“I think it is in the realm of possibility,” said Miss Stewart, with a smile. “I know better than most, my lady, how often you are not in your own bed in the morning, and how long it has been since you have had your monthly courses.”

Elizabeth realized that Miss Stewart was correct, and her eyes widened. “I am going to have a child?” she said. “We are to be parents?” She promptly burst into tears and began to laugh all at once, tears mixing with laughter until she did not know where one began and the other ended.

“But I must tell Darcy right away!” Elizabeth said.

Then she paused. She knew that the moment Darcy knew her to be with child, he would become extremely overprotective of her. He would demand that she not strain herself, that she rest often, and that she not do anything to worry herself. How could she live under these stipulations with a ball to host?

“I will tell him after the ball,” she said. “That way this will not overshadow what we have put so much planning into. It shall be our secret for now, just the three of us,” said Elizabeth, placing her hands on her still-flat stomach and smiling. Miss Stewart returned the smile and nodded happily.

Although she could hardly wait to share her joy with Darcy, Elizabeth knew that discretion was required. But what a glorious secret to have to keep to oneself!


	28. Chapter 28

Caught as she was between last-minute preparations for the ball and thinking about how their life would change with the arrival of a child, Elizabeth could scarcely believe how quickly the date of the ball arrived. In contrast to how long it had seemed before the Bingleys’ first visit, when hours had stretched into days, time seemed to spin the other way. Elizabeth was glad that time had passed so quickly; after the ball, she would no longer be compelled to keep her condition a secret from Darcy.

Her mother and sisters were the first guests to arrive. Elizabeth met them at their carriage, almost trembling with excitement. Lydia was the first one out of the carriage, with Kitty following at her heels as always.

“Lord, what an estate!” said Lydia, turning slowly in a circle. “You did well for yourself, Lizzy, did you not?”

Elizabeth hugged Kitty, and then turned to her mother who descended the carriage with an enormous smile on her face.

“I say, this is quite grand!” she said. “And you, the mistress of all this, Lizzy!”

“It certainly occupies my time,” Elizabeth said with a smile.

“I do not know why there had to be a ball,” said Mary as she stepped down. “It seems too extravagant. Could we not have visited without so very much disturbance, Lizzy?”

Elizabeth hugged her but had no intention of responding to complaints from any members of her family. “Come inside!” she said.

Elizabeth led them into the house. Mrs. Bennet made sure to inform Mr. Combes, who held the door, that she was Mrs. Darcy’s mother. In his unflappable tone, he welcomed her to Pemberley, and she giggled like a young girl.

Darcy descended the grand staircase as the Bennets entered the entrance hall. “Welcome to Pemberley,” he said, his voice rich with pride.

“Oh, my dear Darcy, do come here!” said Mrs. Bennet, and pulled him into an obviously undesired embrace. “How wonderful of you to throw us this ball!”

Darcy extricated himself with as much grace as possible. “I would like to show everyone how very lucky I am to have Elizabeth as my wife,” he said, smiling towards her.

Elizabeth smiled back, pleased to see that he was willing to be sentimental about their relationship in front of others, even if it was her family. It was certainly a start.

Lydia and Kitty were wandering about the hall, arm in arm.

“Kitty,” Lydia said in a loud whisper, “I may have to change my plan of marrying an officer. I think I might like to be the lady of an estate instead.”

Kitty giggled and said that it would be quite agreeable to live in such a house.

“Better than some old butcher, certainly, Lizzy!” said Lydia brightly.

Elizabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead directed her family to their rooms. She saw that they were settled and slipped out before she could be engaged in another conversation; certainly she had missed them, at least in theory, but she realized that they had changed not one bit from when she left. Elizabeth suspected that she would need to deal with them in small doses.

Georgiana met her in the hall. “Has your family arrived? I am anxious to make their acquaintance,” she said with a smile.

“Yes, they have arrived. I have… told you about my family, have I not?” Elizabeth said, trying to keep her voice light and not succeeding especially well.

Georgiana lowered her voice. “Lydia is a flirt, Kitty follows whatever Lydia does, and Mary is much too serious for her own good. Did I get that right?”

“Perhaps you _are_ ready to meet them,” said Elizabeth, smiling.

“They are your sisters, which means they are practically my sisters as well,” said Georgiana. “So whatever their faults, I will strive to love them, because I love you.”

Overcome with emotion, Elizabeth pulled Georgiana into an embrace. She was so grateful for Georgiana’s company and counsel. She was much less afraid of what might go wrong with her sister-in-law by her side.

“Well, there is one good thing,” she said, squeezing Georgiana’s hands. “Lydia will never be able to fit into your dresses, so at least your closet is safe. I hope.”

“I will bring them hats and ribbons,” Georgiana replied. “Perhaps that will keep them busy. And Mary can use my piano forte.”

“You are so kind, and I am lucky to have you,” said Elizabeth. “Let us go and meet them, for I think that I have prepared you as well as I can.”

The two linked arms and made their way to the Bennets’ rooms.

***

Dinner was an eventful meal. Mrs. Bennet spent the whole of it remarking loudly on how fine the silver and the crystal was, while Mary made a point of staring at their mother disapprovingly every time she spoke. Lydia felt the need to express her feelings about each course that was served, and Kitty spent the entire meal listening to every word Georgiana said. Elizabeth thought that Lydia might have some competition for Kitty’s attention.

Darcy remained quiet but good-humored. She was grateful for the fact that he was tolerating her family so easily. She had been worried about his ability to do so, but he managed quite well.

“When are the other guests to arrive?” Mrs. Bennet asked.

“They will arrive tomorrow,” Elizabeth said. She and Darcy had thought it best to have her family arrive prior to the rest of the guests; Elizabeth hoped that it would give her family the opportunity to settle in a bit. It would not do to have her mother speculating on the cost of the table settings in front of the other guests, although she realized that there was probably nothing she could do to prevent her mother from behaving exactly like she always did.

“I am so looking forward to the ball,” said Lydia with a wide smile. “Have you invited many unmarried men? I brought my best dress, and I just must show it off!”

“We have invited enough people that you are all assured of having a good time,” said Darcy, cutting Elizabeth off before she could respond crossly. “Mary, we were hoping that you would be willing to entertain our guests by playing the piano forte in the salon.”

Mary held her back straighter and tried to maintain her expression. “I suppose I could do so,” she said. “I did bring the piece that I have been working on.”

“Then it is settled,” said Darcy, and Mary gave him a stately nod.

Elizabeth caught his eye and smiled at him in thanks for the efforts he made towards her family. He looked back and her and briefly tapped his chest. His meaning was clear to his wife: _because I love you_.

Her hand moved to her stomach, and she considered telling him her secret that very evening. However, she knew that it would be best to wait until after the ball, when their attention was not drawn in all different directions. Her love for her husband and the family that they were creating settled in her heart, where she could hold it close until the moment was right to share it.


	29. Chapter 29

The following day was a flurry of arrivals, greetings, and issues that arose at the last minute. Elizabeth barely had a moment to herself, but she did not mind. The busier she was, the quieter her mind. However, she was still suffering from fatigue and nausea, and it was difficult to find an escape, even for a few moments, to deal with the difficulties of early pregnancy. After lunch, Elizabeth found that she got a burst of energy and her stomach seemed to settle itself. She was grateful for the cessation of her symptoms and hoped that her luck would hold through the ball the following day.

The Bingleys and the Hursts arrived in the early afternoon. Elizabeth took advantage of her renewed energy and ran to greet them, ignoring Miss Bingley’s and Mrs. Hurst’s shared look over the impropriety of the mistress of the house running.

“Jane!” she said, embracing her sister. “I am so glad to see you.”

Remembering her manners, she turned to the remainder of the party. “You are all very welcome at Pemberley,” she said.

“Mrs. Darcy, we feared that you might hurt yourself, you approached the carriage with such speed!” said Miss Bingley, confirming Elizabeth’s suspicion that she had changed not one bit since the last time they were in one another’s presence.

“Thank you for your concern for my safety, but as you can see, I am quite well,” she said.

“But you do look pale,” said Miss Bingley with mock concern. “Are you able to get enough rest, or does management of Pemberley take up all your time?”

“Management of the estate does take up a portion of my time, but it is labor that I am happy to do. My health is quite well, but thank you for your concern,” Elizabeth said, giving Miss Bingley a tight smile that she hoped would end the conversation.

Miss Bingley seemed to decide that there was ample time to criticize her hostess later, and turned to follow her brother, sister, and brother-in-law into the house.

“How you bear it, I will never know,” said Elizabeth to Jane.

“I think she has realized that she is stuck with me, so she saves her words for other targets,” said Jane.

“Well, she shall not find a target in me.”

“But she will certainly try. Be cautious of her, Lizzy.”

“Miss Bingley’s unpleasantness is something that I can handle. Now, come inside. I have the most wonderful news to share with you.”

***

“Oh, Lizzy!” Jane said, tears in her eyes. “A child! You and Darcy are truly blessed. What did he say when you told him?”

“I have not told him yet,” Elizabeth said. “I want to wait for the calm after the ball is over.”

“Do you think that is the best idea? It seems he should know of your delicate condition.”

“I have only known for a short time,” said Elizabeth. “He will know within a few days.”

“I know better than to try and talk you out of it,” said Jane with a laugh. “I promise I will not tell a soul.”

“Especially Mama!”

“Yes, of course not Mama. Oh dear. With her first grandchild on the way, she will be even more animated than usual.”

“Shall we survive such a thing?” said Elizabeth, smiling. “Perhaps it is best that I will tell her in a letter. It is probably safest to be several counties away when she discovers it.”

“I am so very happy for you, Lizzy.”

“I hope the same happiness for you, Jane. The only thing that could increase my joy would be for you to share in it.”

The sisters embraced once again, delighted to be together. They allowed themselves a few more moments alone, and then headed downstairs to greet more guests.

***

Dinner was a large affair, with place settings added at the last moment to accommodate the guests who continued to arrive. Elizabeth suspected that some of the guests had taken lodging in Lambton and would be arriving the following day, so it appeared that the ball would be quite well attended.

Elizabeth managed to eat a hearty dinner, and her stomach seemed calmer than it had in days. She was able to relax just a bit and enjoy speaking with her guests. She glanced across the table to where Mrs. Bennet and Miss Bingley were seated next to each other, and had to stifle a smile. Mrs. Bennet seemed delighted with her dinner companion, peppering her with questions in between bragging about her daughters. She was testing the very limit of Miss Bingley’s tolerance. Elizabeth thought that it was good for Miss Bingley to learn to speak with all sorts of people. Seating the two of them next to one another was not the most selfless move on her part, but she considered that she would do it exactly the same way if she had it to do over.

After dinner, she and Darcy circulated amongst their guests while Mary and Georgiana took turns on the piano forte. Elizabeth noticed that Georgiana’s playing was proficient but not fancy, and she understood that her sister-in-law was working to not outshine her sister. She caught Georgiana’s eye and smiled in thanks.

It was pleasant to have time to speak with their guests, with most of the planning behind them. Elizabeth reflected that she was grateful to have servants on whom she could rely to follow her instructions.

After the guests were all settled in to their rooms, Darcy and Elizabeth were finally free to retire to their own suites. Elizabeth, knowing that she needed as much sleep as she could manage, opted to sleep in her own room. Darcy, who was bursting with pride over his wife’s adeptness at hospitality, told her that she should get some rest and gave her a thorough, but gentle, kiss goodnight, bidding her well until the morning.

Elizabeth settled into her bed, warm and satisfied with the results of the day. In her mind, she ran through the list of everything that needed to happen the following day. Her mental checklist told her that everything was as it should be. She relaxed into her pillow and whispered words of love to the babe growing in her belly. Only one more day until she could tell Darcy the good news.

***

Elizabeth awoke the following morning feeling refreshed and, thankfully, not the slightest bit nauseated. She whispered a prayer of thanks for her luck, dressed quickly, and descended to ensure that all preparations for the ball were being properly handled.

The general atmosphere, among servants and guests alike, was one of anticipation and gaiety. Although last-minute tasks needed to be completed and the kitchen was already working tirelessly, most of the preparations were complete and the excitement of the ball had already begun.

Elizabeth checked that the breakfast had been laid out for their guests, then set about the house ensuring that everything was in line to be ready for that evening. Along the way, she greeted guests, which slowed her progress down quite a bit. She had not seen her family, so she checked in on them. They were still in bed, with the breakfast trays that they had rung for.

“Lizzy, I think I might never leave,” said Lydia. “Perhaps I will marry a man from Derbyshire and live nearby, so I could visit often. Would that not be lovely?”

Elizabeth agreed that it would, if for no other reason than to not cause an argument on such an exciting day. She made a note to ask Georgiana who the more flirtatious of the single gentleman guests were, and to keep them far away from Lydia.

“Just wait until you see the ribbons that Georgiana brought me!” said Kitty excitedly. “They match my dress perfectly.”

“I am certain that you will be a picture of loveliness,” said Elizabeth, smiling.

“I have no need for ribbons,” sniffed Mary. “Foolishness and vanity.”

“Is your piano forte piece ready for tonight?” asked Elizabeth, turning to a subject that interested Mary.

“Yes, I believe that it is. Georgiana would also like me to play a duet with her,” Mary said.

“How lovely!” said Elizabeth, pleased that Georgiana had made such an effort to include Mary.

Once she was certain that her family was comfortable and well taken care of, she continued her rounds. As she passed Darcy’s office, she noticed that the door was open and he was sitting at his desk.

“Good morning,” she said to him from the doorway.

“Ah, here is my beautiful wife,” he said with a smile. He rose from the desk and walked over to close the door. Once they were assured of privacy, he took her face in his hands and kissed her until she was breathless.

“I missed you last night,” he said softly.

“And I you,” she replied, stroking his cheek.

“I suppose that there is not time now to make up for what we missed,” he said with a cheeky smile.

“Alas,” she said, returning the smile, “there are too many small tasks that I must accomplish before tonight. But you may make it up to me after the ball.”

“I will be counting the minutes,” he said, and kissed her deeply once again.

She practically floated out of his office and on to her other tasks.

***

After a midday nap, it was time for her to prepare herself for the ball. It seemed that Miss Stewart was nearly as excited as Elizabeth. They chatted together as Miss Stewart wrestled her unruly hair into a complicated style.

“There are still guests arriving,” reported Miss Stewart.

“I think that nearly everyone we invited will be here,” said Elizabeth in amazement.

“It has been quite some time since there was a ball at Pemberley,” said Miss Stewart. “Of course, people can come and tour the estate, but that is not quite the same as being invited to a ball here.”

“I can only hope that I managed to do Pemberley justice.”

“I am certain that you have, ma’am. As hard as you have worked, I cannot imagine that any detail missed your attention.”

“You are sweet, Stewart,” Elizabeth said, smiling at her lady’s maid in the mirror.

“There. Your hair is done, and it looks quite elegant, I think,” said Stewart.

“It looks lovely! Stewart, you are a magician. How you manage to tame my hair will always be a mystery to me. I have seen you do it many times, but I could never hope to do it myself.”

Miss Stewart smiled, pleased with herself.

“Now let us finish getting you ready,” she said. She bustled around putting the finishing touches on Elizabeth’s outfit. “There you are,” she said. “You look beautiful.”

Elizabeth stepped in front of the mirror and gasped. The woman in the mirror bore a slight resemblance to herself, but between the hair, the fine jewelry, and the gold silk of her ballgown, she was quite transformed. She turned and marveled at how the silk of her dress rippled like water.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Elizabeth nodded to Miss Stewart to open it. Darcy stood on the other side, dressed very finely.

“I have come to escort you,” he said, and then stopped, with his mouth slightly open. “You are a vision.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, beaming. “You look very handsome as well.”

“It would be my great honor to escort you downstairs, Mrs. Darcy.”

She took his arm and he bent down to kiss her forehead. He was rewarded with another smile. Elizabeth felt nearly giddy that the time of the ball was finally upon them. She followed Darcy’s lead as he escorted her downstairs to meet their guests.


	30. Chapter 30

It took some time for Darcy and Elizabeth to make their entrance, as they were stopped several times by greetings from people whom they had not yet seen. After several promises to speak further after the dancing was started, they finally arrived on the dance floor.

Elizabeth called a country dance, hoping to include as many dancers as possible. Partners fell into line on either side of the Darcys and the music began to play. Elizabeth kept her steps simple; it might have seemed that she was doing so out of consideration for the younger and less experienced dancers, but it was really because she had never called the dance for such a large group before, and she was terrified of making a mistake. After several minutes without incident, she was able to relax and actually began to enjoy herself.

After they completed their dance, Elizabeth looked at Georgiana, who was dancing with Colonel Fitzwilliam, to call the dance. Georgiana took over the calling with great delight, and Darcy and Elizabeth returned to speaking with their guests. Most of them were lovely and were very interested in meeting and speaking to Elizabeth. She got the sense that a few of them still considered her to be below their notice, but she was not especially bothered by it; after all, she was the mistress of Pemberley now.

A well-dressed couple that Elizabeth had not met before stepped in front of them.

“My dear, allow me to present His Grace the Duke of Worthingham and his wife, Her Grace the Duchess of Worthingham. Your Graces, this is my wife, Mrs. Darcy.”

Elizabeth curtsied deeply, as was befitting their station. It also gave her a moment to inspect the couple. The Duke was clearly much older than his wife. He was very stout and had pronounced jowls and hair that was nearly white. The Duchess, on the other hand, was dressed very stylishly. She was at least twenty years his junior, and wore a gorgeous ivory gown with a sheer overlay, and there was a large matching feather in her striking black hair. She looked at Elizabeth with heavy-lidded brown eyes and smiled.

“You are simply delightful, Mrs. Darcy!” she said with a smile that did not reach her eyes. “We thank you for the invitation.”

“You are very welcome at Pemberley,” said Elizabeth, although she did not especially mean it. She was instantly on her guard; Elizabeth had met several people who were dismissive of her since her wedding, and the Duchess showed all the signs of being that sort of person.

The Duchess sighted someone across the room, waved to them, and excused herself. The Duke also excused himself, but went to find a seat rather than accompany his wife.

“How do you know them?” she asked Darcy.

“Just through social engagements,” said Darcy. “Especially in my younger days, Her Grace was often at the same parties and balls that I attended.”

“Only Her Grace?” I asked.

“Well, His Grace was often there as well, but he normally finds a place to settle for the evening, while she is much more active,” he said. “I believe that it is the nature of the difference in their ages. It does not seem to bother either of them overly much.”

Elizabeth was not comforted by the fact that the Duchess often socialized on her own, without her husband. There was something about the way that the Duchess looked at both Elizabeth and Darcy that unnerved Elizabeth. She made a note to ask Georgiana about the Duchess later.

Elizabeth looked about to see if she could find Georgiana, but spied the Colonel instead. He was no longer dancing with Georgiana, but rather with a pretty blonde woman. They were smiling widely at one another as they went through their steps. Elizabeth watched them for a few moments, pleased that they seemed to be enjoying one another’s company. She might have watched them for longer if it had not been for the footman who came to tell her that she was needed in the entrance hall. She quickly went to see what the trouble was.

Darcy was facing her, his hand fisted in another man’s cravat, keeping him still and at Darcy’s mercy. Elizabeth gasped and rushed forward.

“Darcy, what are you—,“ she stopped as she saw the face of the other man. “Wickham! What are you doing here?”

“I had just asked him that precise question,” said Darcy in a low, dangerous voice. Then, to Wickham, “We await your answer.”

“Unhand him at once!” came a voice from behind Elizabeth. She turned around to see Lydia rushing at them, her cheeks flushed with anger and excitement. “How dare you put your hands on him?”

Darcy let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, my dear sister-in-law,” he said, “I have more than enough reasons.”

“Let him go!” said Lydia, stamping her foot like a child.

Elizabeth noticed that Wickham was gesturing desperately at Lydia to be quiet. It did not work.

“We are to be wed!” Lydia said. “It is all right, Wickham. What can it harm us to tell them? If they know, we do not have to sneak away to be married. It is better this way.”

“Married?” said Elizabeth. “The two of you, married?”

“Jealous, Lizzy?” said Lydia with a smile. “I know that you fancied Wickham back in Meryton. I suppose it came as a great shock when he was not one of the men who proposed to you. But, you see, it is I that he is in love with.”

“In love?” said Darcy, loosening his grip so the other man could speak. “Wickham, you scoundrel. What lies have you told this girl?”

“I have only told her the truth, Darcy,” Wickham said, regaining his poise and deftly stepping away from Darcy’s reach. “We are quite in love and she is to become my wife. And then… well, my! You and I shall be practically related, shall we not?”

“Is there any low to which you will not stoop to devil me?” said Darcy.

“Why do you think this is at all in regards to you?” said Lydia, moving to Wickham’s side. “Is it so very hard to believe that a man like him could be in love with me?”

Darcy and Elizabeth shared a look, but kept those particular concerns to themselves.

“Anyway, there is nothing you can do about it,” said Lydia. “We will be married, and if Mama will not allow it, then we will go to Gretna Green. We are in love and we cannot be kept separated forever!”

“Is that what he has told you, Lydia?” said Darcy, straining to keep an even voice. “Before you make such a commitment, you must know that the man is a liar and a villain. A marriage to him will cause you nothing but pain and heartache.”

“Yours is not a judgment that I care for, after what you did to my poor, dear Wickham,” Lydia said. “Do not think he has not told me of how you cheated him out of his living.”

Before Darcy could speak, Elizabeth walked over and took Lydia by the arm. “You do not know of what you speak,” Elizabeth said urgently.

“Oh, do I not?” said Lydia. “Do you think that you are the only one he would trust to confide in? Of course you do, Lizzy. You always think that you are so much better than me, and now with your fine estate, you have become even more proud. Well, I am soon to have a husband as well. He may not be as rich, but he is twice as handsome.”

“Lydia, you are making a fool of yourself,” Elizabeth said.

“If I am making a fool of myself, give me proof of what you say,” said Lydia.

Elizabeth and Darcy looked at each other once again. They could not tell Lydia about Wickham’s involvement with Georgiana, and Lydia was clearly not about to trust their judgment on the issue.

Lydia took their silence as confirmation she was right, and smiled at them. “I knew you could not, because my dear Wickham has done nothing wrong.”

“He has,” rang a clear voice across the hall. All four of them turned to see Georgiana approaching.

“I am certain that my brother has informed you that this man is a scoundrel,” said Georgiana to Lydia. “Has he told you why?”

“He has no reason why, because it is a lie,” retorted Lydia.

“I almost wish it was,” Georgiana said ruefully. “But my brother has good reason to protect you from this man. Two years ago, Mr. Wickham proposed marriage to me.”

Lydia’s eyes widened.

“I believed all those things that you now believe, about him being honorable but abused by fortune. Fortunately, I told my brother of our plans to wed, and he came to save me. It turns out that Mr. Wickham wanted nothing more than my dowry, and to cause my brother pain.”

“What reason would he have to marry me?” Lydia asked. “I do not have a sizable dowry. If he were not marrying me for love, what possible reason could there be?”

“Lydia, you heard him say it himself,” said Elizabeth. “It is his way to continue to harass Darcy. If Wickham and Darcy are married to sisters, they will continue to be in one another’s lives.”

“Tell them, Wickham!” Lydia said. “Tell them how much you love me!”

“I love her,” said Wickham, smiling at the group.

“What is it that you love about her?” asked Elizabeth.

Wickham was caught off guard, and stared for a moment at Lydia. She was smiling at him and waiting for him to respond. As the silence stretched out and Wickham could not form a response, the smile slowly fell from her face.

“Wickham?” she said.

He blinked and then launched into a speech about Lydia’s general amiability, and how he would be fortunate to have such a wife. It was too late, however. The damage was done.

“Are they right about you?” Lydia asked, her eyes filling with tears.

Georgiana took her arm. “Come, Lydia. Let us leave them and go find some handsome young men with proper intentions to dance with. I know how you must feel. Come with me.”

She gently coaxed Lydia away towards a side room to clean up. Elizabeth hoped that Lydia’s heartbreak would not last much beyond her first or second dance with an attentive partner.

“Why come here?” Darcy demanded of Wickham. “If the two of you had just stolen away, you did not risk the chance of being caught.”

“I do not see the need to tell you anything,” said Wickham.

Darcy grabbed him by the cravat once again and landed a solid punch. Elizabeth was shocked to see her husband resort to violence, and quickly looked around to ensure that they were not being observed. Thankfully, the commotion did not seem to be noticed by any of the guests; at least, no one had come out of the ballroom.

“I think you know that I can beat you in a fair fight,” growled Darcy. “However, I will remind you that you are in Pemberley. I have already won.”

Wickham seemed to realize that he was at Darcy’s mercy. He sighed.

“It is closer to Gretna Green,” he said.

“But why would you set foot in Pemberley, knowing that you could be recognized?” asked Elizabeth.

Wickham began to sneer at her, but Darcy cocked his arm back once again and he quickly decided to be civil. “I was planning to hide during the ball and rouse Lydia in the night to leave. I know Pemberley well; it would not be a problem for me to maneuver about at night. And with all the people here, I was able to slip in through a side door. Poor security, chap,” he drawled to Darcy.

“A mistake that will not be repeated, I assure you,” said Darcy.

“You know that I will expose Georgiana if you make any move against me,” said Wickham, playing the only card he had left.

Darcy took his hands off Wickham, but remained tensed and ready to grab him again if necessary.

“You will get nothing more from me,” Darcy said. “If I ever see you in Derbyshire again, or if I ever hear that you have spoken a word against Georgiana, I will not hesitate to do what I must to protect my family.”

It was a very clear threat, and everyone in the room knew it.

Darcy took a step closer to Wickham and spoke very softly. “Get out,” he said, “before I change my mind and make things a great deal more uncomfortable for you. You know very well that there are rooms in Pemberley where you would never be found.”

Wickham’s eyes widened and he quickly turned towards the door.

“Never set foot in Pemberley again, Wickham. You know me to be a man of my word,” Darcy called after him.

Wickham made no sign that he had heard. Instead, he hurried quickly out the door and into the night.

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief, and suddenly felt quite faint. Darcy was at her side in a moment, steadying her and directing her to sit on a nearly chair.

“That was unexpected,” he said.

She laughed weakly. “Indeed.”

“Will Lydia’s heart mend?”

“Almost certainly. Lydia is, if nothing else, resilient. Thank goodness Georgiana was here to help convince her.”

Darcy smiled proudly at his sister’s selfless actions.

“Why would Wickham instigate such a plot? What had he to gain, really?” Elizabeth asked.

“I suppose he thought of it as the best way to gain access to me,” Darcy said. “He may have hoped that time would wear me down, and that I would once again provide him with the funds that he so desperately needs.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “Thank goodness you caught him,” she said.

“It is over now,” he said. “We should get back to our guests. Do you feel well enough to return?”

Elizabeth nodded. “I do. Let us try to forget about this and enjoy our night.”

Darcy placed a hand on his wife’s back and gently escorted her back to the ballroom. He desperately hoped that there would be no more of this sort of surprise in their evening.


	31. Chapter 31

Nothing seemed amiss as Elizabeth and Darcy returned to the ballroom. Elizabeth glanced around to see if their confrontation with Wickham had been overheard. She did not see any questioning glances directed their way, nor did she feel the sense that the room was waiting to see what would happen next. She breathed a sigh of relief; they may have dealt with the issue with their guests being none the wiser.

Kitty ran up to her. “Lizzy, where is Lydia? I saw her leave the ballroom and I thought she was going to find you, but apparently she was not.”

Darcy looked at Elizabeth and nodded that he would give the two women some privacy. He discreetly moved in the opposite direction.

“She did, and I have not the time to tell you what happened,” said Elizabeth, clutching Kitty’s hands. “However, she and Georgiana are in the sitting room to the left. I am certain that Lydia would benefit from her sister right now. Go and see her.”

Kitty headed directly for the sitting room, and Elizabeth was struck by how much love there was in her family, even if many of its members spent most of their time being foolish. What she had told Darcy was the truth; she knew that Lydia felt her current heartache deeply, but it would not take much time for her to move on and find another man to occupy her thoughts. Certainly much less harm was done than if Wickham’s plan had succeeded. She gazed at Kitty’s retreating back and felt a warm sense of love for her sisters.

“Be cautious, Mrs. Darcy,” a voice said in her ear.

Startled, Elizabeth whirled around to find Caroline Bingley standing next to her.

“Pardon me?” Elizabeth asked.

“Look,” said Miss Bingley, pointing her chin towards where Darcy stood in conversation with the Duchess of Worthingham and a man that Elizabeth did not recognize.

“I see,” said Elizabeth, trying not to let her frustration towards Caroline seep into her voice, “but I do not know what cause I have for caution.”

As they watched, the Duchess laughed and reached out to touch Darcy’s forearm. He raised his eyes to her and their gazes seemed to lock for a moment. She stepped just the slightest bit closer to him and dropped her hand, but she continued to hang on every word that he said.

“Did you know that they had an involvement when he was younger?” said Caroline. “It was before I was out in society, but Louisa was out and she told me all about it. It seems that they were quite inseparable. She was already married, so nothing formal could come of it, but there were whispers of impropriety. If Darcy was my husband, I would watch him very cautiously around her. Old habits, as they say, die hard.”

Elizabeth took a step back and replied coldly, “Thank you for your concern for my marriage, but I think it is very much misplaced.”

Miss Bingley raised an eyebrow. “You can believe what you wish,” she said. “I only tell you in the spirit of friendship. It is nothing to me one way or another what you do with the knowledge.”

She gave Elizabeth a closed-lip smile and walked away.

Elizabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes and reminded herself that Miss Bingley, however infuriating, was still her guest. She should have expected some sort of interference of the sort, but she had to work to overcome it. Miss Bingley would never change; all Elizabeth could do was learn to tolerate her.

She glanced back at Darcy. The Duchess had moved closer to him, and seemed to be held rapt by what he was saying. She appeared to be very familiar with him; too familiar, if Elizabeth was being honest with herself. She did not trust Caroline Bingley, but she also knew that Miss Bingley would not hesitate to tell the truth if she thought Elizabeth would be hurt by it. Could there be something to the story she had told?

Elizabeth thought that the best way for her suspicions to be assuaged was to join the conversation. That would reassure her that the flirtation was one-sided. She began to make her way over to her husband. As she got closer, she saw the Duchess throw her head back in laughter. Darcy looked at his conversation partner, smiling, obviously pleased by her amusement. Elizabeth felt a twinge in her stomach at seeing this.

As she walked, the twinge grew into a full-blown cramp; Elizabeth realized with horror that her nausea had returned, and it felt as if it was more than making up for the previous day’s good health. She bolted, desperately hoping that she would not be ill in front of the entire party. She made it to the sitting room where Georgiana, Lydia, and Kitty sat, and was violently ill in a rather unfortunate nearby vase. When she looked up, all three of them were staring at her with wide eyes.

“Poor Elizabeth!” cried Georgiana. She sent Kitty and Lydia to retrieve Darcy and produced a silk square for Elizabeth to wipe her mouth with.

“I am so embarrassed,” said Elizabeth, feeling her face flush. “What terrible timing!”

“Something you ate must have disagreed with you,” said Georgiana. “I think you have had quite enough of the ball for tonight. You need rest.”

“I cannot leave,” said Elizabeth. “I am the hostess!”

“I can take over hostess duties,” said Georgiana. “You need to go to bed. We both know that it will not do anyone any good to have an ill hostess.”

Elizabeth realized that Georgiana was right and nodded her consent. Georgiana led her over to the settee and got her settled. At that moment, Lydia arrived with Darcy in tow.

“What happened?” he said, looking alarmed at his pale wife.

“Elizabeth is ill,” said Georgiana. “She is going to rest. I will perform the remaining hostess duties.”

He walked over and tilted Elizabeth’s chin up, looking into her eyes. “Should I call for a doctor?” he said.

“No need,” said Elizabeth, her voice coming out like a croak. “Georgiana is right. I need to rest, and we will see how I feel in the morning. There is no need to call for the doctor yet.” Now was certainly not the right time to tell him about the baby. That was better saved for the following morning, when they were alone.

Darcy did not look convinced, but he did not argue with her.

Jane and Kitty arrived then. Jane was instantly at Elizabeth’s side, stroking her hair and whispering calming words.

“I will take her to her suite,” Jane said.

“But Jane, I do not want you to miss the ball,” said Elizabeth miserably.

“I am a married woman,” said Jane with a smile. “Better I miss some of it than the other girls.”

Elizabeth saw the sense in this and allowed Jane to lead her upstairs. She hoped that she would be able to make it to her suite without a repeat of what had just happened.

She was lucky in this regard, at least. They made it to her rooms with no further bouts of illness. Jane rang the bell to call Miss Stewart, and that was no sooner done than Elizabeth was sick again.

“Poor Lizzy!” said Jane. “The little one is giving you quite a time.”

Elizabeth smiled weakly, glad that she had shared her secret with Jane.

Miss Stewart came quickly through the door, took one look at Elizabeth, and began preparing a cold compress for her.

“My poor lady,” she said, sitting next to Elizabeth and mopping her forehead. “Let us get you to bed.”

Miss Stewart and Jane assisted her to bed. The cool sheets felt wonderful, and she knew that rest was just what she needed.

“Jane, you ought to return to the ball,” she said weakly. “I am in Stewart’s quite capable hands.”

“Are you certain, Lizzy?” asked Jane with a frown.

“I am. There is nothing you can do here, and your absence will just make my sudden disappearance seem even more noteworthy.”

“I will send someone for you if anything changes,” Miss Stewart reassured Jane. “I will take good care of her, I promise you.”

Jane did not look entirely convinced, but she started for the door. “Any change at all, Stewart,” she said.

“Of course, Mrs. Bingley,” said Miss Stewart.

Elizabeth heard the door close, and she once again felt Miss Stewart gently rub her face with the cold compress. That was the last thing she remembered before she fell into a deep sleep.

***

Elizabeth awoke quite early the next morning—at least that was what she assumed, based on the feeble light outside her window. She looked over to see Miss Stewart asleep in a chair near the bed, and she was struck with what a comfort it was to have a good lady’s maid.

Elizabeth considered her stomach. It felt much better than it had the previous night. In fact, she even felt hungry. It was a relief not to feel the crippling nausea of the night before. She considered waking Miss Stewart and asking for her breakfast, but she decided that she should go to Darcy before that and let him know that she was quite well. Why, with the ball over, she could even tell him the cause of her illness! Her heart rose at the thought, and she got out of bed and approached the door that divided their two rooms. She put her hand on the knob and twisted.

It was locked.


	32. Chapter 32

The door to Darcy’s room had not been locked once since they had come to Pemberley. Elizabeth remembered him telling her that his door would always be open to her, and a kernel of fear was planted in her stomach. Certainly, there must be an explanation.

She headed into her sitting room, intending to knock on the main door to his rooms. He might still be in bed, but she knew that he often arose early to look over his papers and prepare for the day. If she used the main door, she would not disturb him if he was still abed.

When she was nearly at the door of her suite, she heard his door close. She opened her door hurriedly, hoping to catch him before he went to his office. Instead, she saw the Duchess, wearing the same gown that she had on the previous night and looking very mussed. The Duchess stopped in the hallway, turned back towards Darcy’s door, and blew a kiss. To keep from being seen, Elizabeth rushed back into her room and locked the door.

Her heart was beating very quickly. What had the Duchess been doing there? It was clear she had not spent the night in her own room. Elizabeth thought about how messy the Duchess’s hair was, and how she carried her shoes rather than wearing them. And then there was the matter of the thrown kiss! She had all the indications of a woman who had spent the night in the throes of passion.

But Darcy would not do that. Elizabeth knew him better than that. Things between them had been so wonderful. He would not betray her like that. There had to be some other explanation for why she saw the Duchess leaving his suite and why his bedroom door was locked.

She sat heavily on the settee to work out an alternate explanation. Perhaps he had locked his door to keep from disturbing her while she was ill. No, that made no sense. How would a lock affect whether she was disturbed? She wracked her brain trying to think of a reason, but she failed. Every thought she had was illogical. That door had not been locked a single night since she had arrived at Pemberley, so why on earth would he have taken the time to lock it, unless he was doing something he did not want her to know about?

Elizabeth might have been able to explain the door lock, although she was not sure how. She might have been able to explain seeing the Duchess in the hall, although she and Darcy had the only rooms in that hallway. But the two facts together lent credence to what Caroline Bingley had said the night before.

She suddenly remembered the conversation with Darcy after the incident with Lord Stapleton and Mr. Colborne, where she had told him he had her blessing to take a mistress. She had assumed, with the thaw in their relationship, that he had no intention of availing himself of that particular offer. But she had never told him she no longer felt that way. She had simply assumed that he would know.

What would he want with a mistress? Was his wife not enough for him? Questions whirled through Elizabeth’s head, and the next thing she knew, tears were running down her cheek. She remembered how surprisingly agreeable he had been when Georgiana first suggested the ball. Was it so that he could see the Duchess? Had this all been planned? And how long had it been going on? Based on what Miss Bingley said, it was likely that they had been involved for some time. Did he have a mistress even before she had told him he could take one? And ultimately, did it matter to her if he did, seeing that he had a mistress now?

Miss Stewart had awoken and walked into the sitting room to find Elizabeth bent over, sobbing.

“My lady, what is wrong? Did something happen with the baby?” Miss Stewart asked frantically.

Elizabeth looked up and just stared at her lady’s maid for a moment. “No, Stewart. The baby is fine.”

“Then what has upset you to this degree?”

“I am not yet ready to speak of it. Can you make me look as if I have not been crying? I cannot go downstairs looking like this.”

Miss Stewart got to work, giving Elizabeth a cold cloth to press under her eyes while her hair was tidied. Elizabeth got her sobs under control so the cloth could do its work, and by the time her hair was finished, Elizabeth’s eyes were noticeably less puffy. After several more minutes, her appearance did not give a hint of the turmoil that she was feeling, and she felt prepared to attend breakfast.

As she walked past Darcy’s rooms, the door opened and he stepped out. He seemed surprised to see her.

“I did not think you would be up so early,” he said. “With your illness last night, I expected you to sleep late this morning.”

“But I did not,” she said, and continued walking.

He caught up to her and took her hand, forcing her to stop. “Tell me how you are feeling,” he said. “Do you still feel nauseated?”

“My stomach is fine,” she said, which was true enough. It was her heart that hurt.

“Elizabeth, why are you being so short in your answers? Have I done something to upset you?”

She flashed her eyes at him dangerously. “I do not know. Do you have anything to confess?”

He looked at her helplessly, completely taken aback by her words. “What confession am I to make?”

“The only appropriate confession: the truth,” she said. She turned and made her way down the stairs, leaving a confused Darcy staring after her.

***

Darcy was entirely perplexed by how Elizabeth was behaving. The previous night, their relationship had seemed stable. They had worked together to deal with the Wickham issue without a trace of the animosity that she was currently showing. Was Elizabeth upset that he had not checked on her the previous night? He had considered it, but he did not want to wake her so he decided against it. Perhaps that had been the wrong decision. But he could not imagine that she would be so powerfully upset over a decision like that; she would not even have known if he checked on her, because she would have been asleep. She was behaving very strangely and he wanted to discover why; however, there were obligations to the guests who were still there. Darcy decided to wait to speak with his wife until they were alone.

He headed for the dining room for breakfast, but saw the Duchess of Worthingham walking towards him and veered off in a different direction. He thought he had made himself quite clear when she attempted to let herself into his room that morning, but the Duchess was known to ignore other people’s wishes to get what she wanted. With what was going on with Elizabeth, he had neither the time nor the energy to deal with the Duchess.

Earlier that morning, he had heard the door to his suites open. He had assumed that it was a maid bringing him tea, although the hour was very early for that. It would not be Elizabeth; why would she not use the door between their bedrooms? He had waited to hear the door open and close again as the person left, but that did not happen. Just then, the door to his bedroom had opened. Darcy sat straight up in bed and saw the Duchess standing there.

“Good morning, Darcy,” she had said, her words slightly slurring together in a way that told him she was still rather drunk. “I could not find your rooms to keep your bed warm last night, but I clearly had better luck this morning.”

She had then taken her shoes off and stumbled towards the bed. “After that silly little thing you married, I bet you are desperate for a real woman. So here I am.”

The Duchess had smiled in a way that she must have thought was seductive, but really just made her look foolish. This was not the way that Darcy had planned to start his day.

“You must leave immediately, Your Grace. You obviously know neither what you are doing nor what you are saying.”

To Darcy’s horror, the Duchess had sat down on his bed. Darcy had jumped out the other side, keeping the bed between them. He was in his bedclothes, but there was nothing that could be done about that.

“I know you desire me, Darcy,” she had said. “You have always flirted with me.”

“Perhaps when I was young and foolish,” he had responded. “I am now a married man.”

“I am also married,” said the Duchess, pouting. “I will not tell your wife if you do not tell my husband.”

Darcy had walked around to the side of the bed and offered the Duchess his hand. She, believing it to be a sign that he had acquiesced, had taken his hand and risen from the bed, coming in close to embrace him. Darcy, who was not under the effects of too much wine, had gracefully taken a step back and dropped her hand.

“You must leave,” he had said, once again.

“I cannot believe that you are choosing that little country girl over me,” the Duchess said.

“She is your superior in every way except rank,” Darcy had said coldly. “Now, will you leave on your own, or do I need to send for your husband?”

The Duchess had thrown back her head and laughed. “You are a fool, Darcy. I have never before had a man refuse me, married or not.”

“I am sorry that you have met so many men of inferior moral character,” Darcy said. “Leave my rooms.”

She rolled her eyes at him and walked over to the door. “Soon, you will be begging me to reconsider,” she said. Before Darcy could respond, she had left the room and slammed the door.

Darcy had sat down heavily on the bed. It was true that he had responded to her flirtations when he was younger, but he had never imagined that she would take things so far as to come to his rooms. She had made it sound as if assignations with married men were a common occurrence for her. He had shaken his head, perplexed, and then rang for his valet.

As though the incident with the Duchess was not odd enough, now Elizabeth was behaving strangely. Darcy could not imagine what was happening with the women around him. Perhaps he should avoid Georgiana for the morning, just in case.


	33. Chapter 33

By the evening meal, all of the guests had left Pemberley and only its residents remained. Elizabeth considered her day to have been a success: she had managed both to not be sick and to not speak to her husband any more than was required. She did not know what the next step was; regardless of what he had done, she was still married to him, and she was still carrying his child. Elizabeth reminded herself that he had not done anything that she had not told him to; however, that did not soothe her heart.

“I will take my meal in my room tonight,” Elizabeth said.

“You will not,” her husband replied.

“How dare you tell me what I can and cannot do?” she responded angrily. “As if you have a reason to be upset with me!”

“You are angry with me, and I do not know why. You are not to go to your room until you have told me what you are so upset about.”

“Did you think that I would not know?” she said. “Do you believe me to be that foolish? Darcy, how could you do that in our home?”

Darcy was reaching the limit of his patience. “What is it that you think I have done?” he said in a loud voice.

The two of them suddenly became aware that they were standing in the hallway, where any of the servants could hear them.

“I am going to my room,” Elizabeth said. “If you want to stop me, you will have to restrain me.”

Darcy let her pass, unwilling to cause more of a scene than they already had. He was so frustrated with her that he wanted to shake her, but he knew that would make things much worse than they already were. He told a maid to bring his supper to his study and Mrs. Darcy’s to her rooms, and retreated to the safety of a room where he could be alone.

***

Darcy felt calmer after he had eaten. He hoped that Elizabeth felt better as well, because whatever was happening was not going to last another night. He went to her rooms to speak with her.

He knocked on the door to her sitting room and Miss Stewart answered.

“You are dismissed for the evening, Stewart,” Darcy said.

Miss Stewart looked uncertain, and turned to look in the room.

“You may go, Stewart,” said Elizabeth. “My husband and I need to speak alone.”

Miss Stewart swept out of the room, looking nervous. It gave Darcy some insight into what Elizabeth’s state of mind had been since they last spoke, and it was not a good sign.

He walked in to find Elizabeth already in her nightclothes, sitting on the settee covered with a blanket. He suddenly remembered how recently she had been sick; barely a day had passed.

“Come sit,” she said, indicated the other end of the settee. Darcy obliged her.

“I suppose, more than anything, I feel foolish,” Elizabeth said. She no longer sounded angry, but she did sound extremely tired. “I know that I told you to do it, but I thought that things had changed between us. I was hoping that I, and I alone, would be enough for you.”

Darcy took her hand and kissed it. “Elizabeth, please tell me what crime I have committed,” he said. “I do not have any clue whatsoever.”

She looked at him for a long moment. “I saw the Duchess leaving your room this morning,” she finally said.

Realization finally washed over Darcy. Elizabeth believed that he had taken a mistress.

“Elizabeth, you are mistaken,” he said.

The fire came back into her eyes. “Darcy, I saw her.”

“Yes, you saw her leaving my room after I told her to. She came in and tried to come to my bed, but I would not allow it. I made her leave. That is what you saw. I swear that I did not have a liaison with the Duchess of Worthingham.”

She looked at him suspiciously, and then promptly burst into tears.

Darcy moved closer to her and scooped her into his arms. “I would never,” he whispered. “I would never do that to you.”

This caused Elizabeth to cry harder, practically soaking through his cravat. Suddenly she stopped and looked at him suspiciously.

“If nothing happened, why was your bedroom door locked?”

“It was not,” Darcy said, baffled.

“If it is not, then it should not be an issue for you to go into my bedroom, through your rooms, and back through the sitting room door again,” she said. “Although that will only prove that it is unlocked now, and not that it was unlocked this morning. Still. Try it.”

He gave her an incredulous look, but got up from the settee and headed into her bedroom. He twisted the knob, expecting it to give easily, but discovered that it was, indeed, locked.

He walked back into the sitting room shaking his head. “I do not know how I will prove it, Elizabeth, but I did not lock my door. I would never lock my door against you.”

She looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then her eyes got very wide.

“Oh!” she said. “Oh. Please send for Mrs. Reynolds at once.”

Darcy did not have a single idea what Mrs. Reynolds had to do with this issue, but he dispatched a footman to retrieve her anyway.

Several minutes later, a very confused-looking Mrs. Reynolds knocked on the door. Darcy opened it and bade her to come into the room.

“What is it that you need from me, Mr. Darcy?” she asked.

“It is not I who needs you, but my wife,” he said.

Mrs. Reynolds turned her attention to Elizabeth.

“Mrs. Reynolds, we took on additional staff to prepare for the ball, did we not?”

“We did, ma’am.”

“And were some of those additional staff members chambermaids?”

“Quite a few of them, ma’am. There were so many rooms that had to be made up.”

“Did you have the new staff work on preparing those rooms?”

“No. I thought it would be easier if our existing maids prepared the rooms, as they knew exactly what needed to be done. The new staff worked on the common areas.”

“Did a new maid clean Mr. Darcy’s room?”

Mrs. Reynolds thought about it for a moment. “Yes, I believe that Mr. Darcy’s room was prepared by a new maid.”

“What about my rooms?”

“Well, Miss Stewart insisted that Abigail do those. She said that you would be bothered if everything was not the way that it normally was.”

Elizabeth smiled for the first time that day. “Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds. You may go.”

Mrs. Reynolds looked as confused leaving as she did arriving, but Elizabeth had clearly gotten the information that she wanted. Once the door was closed, she turned to her husband.

“A new chambermaid would not know that those doors always remained open,” she said. “She might have locked it when she cleaned simply as a matter of course. And remember, the night prior to the ball I slept in my own room. The door might have been locked since then, and we would not know.”

Darcy sat down heavily. “So you do believe me?” he said.

“I do,” said Elizabeth. “I am so sorry that it took me this long to do so. But between the door being locked, the Duchess leaving your room, and what Miss Bingley told me…”

Darcy was instantly alert. “What did she tell you?”

“Well,” said Elizabeth, her cheeks reddening a little that she had actually listened to Caroline Bingley, “she said that you and the Duchess had been involved when you were younger.”

Darcy’s clenched his jaw. He should have known that Caroline Bingley had something to do with this.

“We were never involved,” he said. “We did have a flirtation when I was younger, and that is not something I am proud of. However, that is the extent of our relationship.”

“I have been such a fool,” Elizabeth said, hiding her face in her hands. “I am sorry I did not trust you.”

Darcy tipped her chin up and looked in her eyes. “I must admit, with all the pieces together it must have looked very suspicious. But there was never a question of my taking a mistress. I have everything I want in you, Elizabeth.”

This statement led to a new stream of tears. Darcy held her close while she let out the emotions that had been building for the entire day.

“You are exhausted,” he said. “You need to be in bed.”

She was still clinging to his neck, so he scooped her up and carried her to her bed. He got her comfortably under the quilt and turned to leave.

“No. Please stay,” she said, reaching her hand out for him.

As always, there was nothing he could deny her. He removed his shoes, his jacket, and his cravat and laid on the bed next to her. He stroked her hair gently and she began to doze almost immediately.

“I love you, my sweet Elizabeth,” he said.

She was nearly asleep, but she still managed to smile at hearing those words from the man who meant everything to her.

***

Elizabeth woke the next morning feeling better in both mind and body. Darcy was asleep on the bed next to her. She felt a flash of guilt for the accusations she had made the previous day; she should have known that Darcy was not capable of what she thought he had done.

She snuggled into his broad chest, and his eyes opened. He looked down at her and smiled.

“Good morning, my beautiful wife,” he said.

“Good morning, my husband.”

He held her close and she could hear the steady, soothing beat of his heart. She knew that the time was finally right to share her news.

“Darcy,” she said softly.

“Yes, my love?”

“We are going to have a child.”

She felt him start at her words. He sat very still for a moment, holding her tight.

“So you are not ill?” he asked.

“Not in any permanent way,” she said. “Stewart says that sickness like this is the sign of a healthy child.”

“I am to be a father?” he asked quietly.

“You are,” she said.

He pulled her back into his arms again.

“Oh, my Elizabeth, there is no greater gift that you could give me,” he said. She felt that he was trembling just a bit.

“Who would have guessed, at that first assembly in Meryton, that we would be here?” she asked with a smile.

“I was such a fool that night to not see the treasure that was right in front of me. It is a mistake that I never mean to repeat,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss.

And finally, all was right in their world.


	34. Chapter 34

_Two Years Later_

Elizabeth stopped to rest, her hand on her swollen stomach. She had thought that her pregnancy with little Fitzwilliam had been exhausting, but she had since realized that the condition was much more difficult when one already had an active toddler to chase.

Fitzwilliam continued to make his way down the hall, running with as much abandon as his coordination would allow. He looked like a miniature version of his father, but his demeanor favored his mother much more: he was interested in everything and utterly fearless. Elizabeth recognized those as good characteristics, but a child of that sort was tiring to mother, especially as Fitzwilliam’s brother or sister kicked her repeatedly.

Fitzwilliam’s path took him near Darcy’s study. Darcy heard his son laughing down the hall and stepped out of the study to scoop him up.

“Are you deviling your mother, little man?” Darcy asked, tossing Fitzwilliam in the air. The boy whooped in delight.

“You do know that if you drop him I shall never let you forget it,” said Elizabeth, teasing him.

“Nor should you,” said Darcy. “Thankfully I have no intention of dropping him.”

The baby in Elizabeth’s belly landed a solid kick, and she gasped and leaned against the wall.

Darcy was at her side in a moment. “Are you well?” he asked.

“I am,” she responded. “I think the little one just wants to come out and play with her brother.”

“Her?” Darcy said, raising an eyebrow and setting the boy down. “Is it a girl, do you think?”

Elizabeth smiled. “Of course I do not know, but I felt very different when I was carrying Fitzwilliam. Perhaps that is a sign.”

“You are so beautiful,” Darcy said, reaching out to caress her cheek.

She laughed, and said, “If you find me beautiful now, you must truly consider me to be. My feet are so swollen that none of my shoes fit, and this belly certainly does not flatter the newest fashion statements.”

“You are the most beautiful like this, with our child growing inside you,” he said. “I am a most fortunate man.”

“I would say that we are all the most fortunate,” said Elizabeth, smiling down at their son. “But there is much to do before the Colonel arrives, so Fitzwilliam and I must be off.”

***

The Darcys had planned a small, intimate dinner to celebrate Colonel Fitzwilliam’s engagement. During the ball two years prior, in the midst of the confusion over Wickham and the Duchess, Colonel Fitzwilliam had made the acquaintance of Miss Maria Davies, who was the only daughter of a wealthy merchant. She had been charmed by him from the moment that he had asked her to dance, and he was equally as entranced by her. Their courtship had begun that very night.

Now, they were to be wed. Elizabeth thought that she had rarely seen a couple better matched than the Colonel and Miss Davies. What he lacked in capital she more than made up for, and his social connections opened doors that might otherwise be closed to her. Together they made a wonderful match.

Lady Catherine was, of course, scandalized by Colonel Fitzwilliam marrying a tradesman’s daughter. Elizabeth considered that to be yet another propitious sign for their marriage.

Miss Davies was quite as lovely a young woman as anyone would want to meet. Her eyes sparkled with joy and humor, and she dearly loved to laugh, so she and Elizabeth got on wonderfully. The two of them kept quite a correspondence, sending one another letters and the most recent novels that they had read. Anne de Bourgh also corresponded with both of them often. Elizabeth was glad to have two additional allies in the family.

As Mrs. Fenton styled Elizabeth’s hair, she hummed a happy tune. Elizabeth smiled, knowing that the humming was a sign that all was right between Harriet Stewart Fenton and her husband, Thomas Fenton.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Fenton,” she replied.

“I certainly am, ma’am,” Mrs. Fenton said with a smile. “But it is also bittersweet.”

“What is it?”

“I am afraid, ma’am, that my time as your lady’s maid is coming to an end.”

Elizabeth startled. “But Fenton, whatever do you mean?”

Mrs. Fenton moved a hand to her stomach. “We have something in common,” she said with a smile.

Elizabeth’s eyes lit up. “What wonderful news! Your child is lucky to have parents like you and Thomas!”

“But it means that I will no longer be able to be your maid, ma’am.”

“Of course it does, Fenton, but I cannot be anything aside from happy for you. How I shall ever manage without you, though, I do not know.”

“We have some time yet. I shall be able to show your new maid exactly how you like things,” said Mrs. Fenton.

Elizabeth stood and took Mrs. Fenton’s hands. “I am fortunate that I kept you for as long as I did,” she said. “And Thomas will not leave service here, surely?”

“Since you and Mr. Darcy were kind enough to grant us a crofter’s cottage, he has no need to do so. I do not know where we would go if it was not for your kindness.”

Elizabeth waved her hand. “Think nothing of it, Fenton. I am delighted that you will still be nearby.”

“It has been my joy to be of service,” said Mrs. Fenton, and wiped away a tear. “However, if I continue to chatter on, you will be late to your dinner. Come, let us finish your hair.”

***

Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss Davies had arrived while Elizabeth was preparing for dinner, so she did not see them until she descended for the meal. She was so excited that she had the urge to run to them, like she did to see her sisters. Luckily, her present state precluded her from doing anything so undignified. Instead, she allowed Darcy to lead her to the table to begin the meal.

Georgiana was in fine spirits due to the arrival of her favorite cousin and his fiancee. She asked all sorts of questions about the wedding, and her eyes shone in interest in response.

“Where will you live after you are wed?” she asked.

“In town, at least at first,” Miss Davies said. “Perhaps we will look to purchase an estate.”

“But Georgiana,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam, “that reminds me. Your brother and I had a talk when I first arrived, and I was able to convince him to agree to something in regards to you.”

Darcy scoffed. “I told you it was a fine idea. Do not make it sound as if I was difficult about it.”

“Darcy, you are difficult about everything,” the Colonel said with a broad smile. Darcy smiled back.

The Colonel continued. “Since we will be in town, we thought you might like to come to London and have a season.”

Georgiana’s eyes lit up. “Truly? Brother, may I truly?” she asked Darcy.

Darcy nodded. “You have proven your discretion and good judgment, and it is time that you find a husband worthy of you,” he said. “You may go to London.”

Georgiana beamed at him from across the table.

“How exciting, Georgiana,” Elizabeth said. This news was not a shock to her; Darcy had told her that he and the Colonel would be discussing it, and Elizabeth had been certain what the outcome of that conversation would be. Yet it was still a great delight to Elizabeth to see Georgiana’s happiness.

Georgiana’s face fell as she looked at Elizabeth. “But I will be leaving you all alone, and with a new baby,” she said.

“I will remind you that I am sitting right here. I do not believe it to be the case that she will be alone,” said Darcy with mock sternness.

“You know what I mean, brother.”

“I will be fine,” said Elizabeth. “Pemberley is truly my home now, and I do not think I could be unhappy under this roof. And it is not as if you will never be back.”

Georgiana nodded. “Then it is settled. I am having a season! Oh, there will be so much work to do to prepare.”

“Luckily, you have time,” said the Colonel. “Do not forget, Miss Davies and I are not yet wed.”

Georgiana smiled. “It seems we all have some planning to do,” she said.

Elizabeth looked around at the people around the table and felt a swelling of love in her heart. Truly, she was blessed.

***

That night, Elizabeth laid in her bed while Darcy stroked her hair. Although she did not share his bed this late in her term, he always came to her chambers to sit with her while she fell asleep. His presence made her feel calm, comforted, and loved.

“Did you know it would be like this when you asked me to marry you?” she said to him.

“You, and the family we have created, are more than I ever dared hope for,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I know it has not always been easy, but it has all been worth it.”

“I love you, Mr. Darcy.”

“I love you, Mrs. Darcy.”

And with her husband’s arms around her and everything right in her world, Elizabeth Darcy fell into a restful sleep.


End file.
